The Truth Revealed
by Tiffany Smithi
Summary: In Harry Potter's Fifth Year, Umbridge finds and reads the books of Harry's life to the Great Hall on weekends. Umbridge wants to reveal Harry's 'Lies' for what they are...the Truth, although she does not know it, ensures her defeat. Especially after the mistake of inviting the Minister and a few Aurors along...little quotation, summarized instead. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1: The Truth Revealed

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER ONE

SUMMARY: Placed in Harry Potter's Fifth Year, Umbridge finds and reads the books of harry's life to the Great Hall on weekends. Umbridge wants to reveal Harry's 'Lies' for what they are...the Truth, although she does not know it. She ensures her defeat by inviteing the Minister and a few Aurors along...

* * *

"The lying, stubborn boy!" Umbridge muttered as she paced her study. "Nothing I do will help! He insists on the lie...You-Know-Who back? Preposterous!" she said to herself. "Why, oh why can nobody see this? Of course, most of the people who do see it are the important ones-Me, the Minister Mr. Malfoy, The Inquisitorial Squad, and many others, but Dumbledore standing up for Harry's story is a bad sign...and many are convinced that if Dumbledore believes it, it must be true!"

Umbridge summoned the Inquisitorial Squad. She had to speak to them. Young Draco arrived first. She was still pacing and muttering, and it was a few moments before she realized he was there. "How to get rid of him?" she muttered, "a way to expose his lies-oh hello, Draco."

"I couldn't help but overhear, Professor, you need something? A way for Potter and, I am sure, Dumbledore to be exposed?" Draco Malfoy asked tentatively. She was terrifying when made angry, and he had no desire to provoke her wrath.

"You have a solution?" Umbridge spun around quickly, and rushed over to Malfoy. "Tell me! I need a way..."

"I am not sure it will work, Professor, but it is still worth a try. You see, on the seventh floor, there is a crazy tapesry of Barnabas the Barny, I think. I am never good with old folks names...anyway, if you pace back and forth and think what you need then..."

* * *

"Draco, Draco, this is brilliant! Just what we need!" The rest of the Inquisitorial Squad had arrived soon after Umbridge got back from the Room of Requirement, and she told them what she had found. "Books of Potter's life!" She crowed to them. We will read a few chapters, and find out if they are true, and if so, the rest likely will be. We will reveal him for the liar and attention-seeker he is!"

None of them were particularly _fast_ readers, so the going was slow. She had a member of the Squad read, while she checked records and Floo-called a few people, and owled a few more. After a few chapters sure of positive information, she cried out, "We have a real biography on our hands! Seventy-five points to Slytherin, Draco, for helping me find these books, and fifty more for each of you that participated in the reading and confirmation! We will expose Potter yet! Be ready on Friday after lessons, okay? We will begin reading these books aloud then!

* * *

" _H_ _em hem_ " announced Umbridge, at the end of her class on Friday. "I wish you all to progress to the Great Hall for lunch immediately after putting your bags away," She continued, looking around the classroom with an air of authority "I have an announcement to make. If any of you see Mister Malfoy, tell him to come to my office please."

Draco, who had just been passing looked in and said, "I am wanted, Professor?"

"Yes, yes, Draco. Can you tell the Heads of House to tell their Houses to come to lunch immediately? I have an announcement." she said sweetly.

"Of course!" said Draco, promptly. Draco, who had been afraid he's done something wrong, walked out the door.

* * *

" _Hem hem_ " spoke up Umbridge as soon as the school was assembled.

Harry sighed in defeat. "If that's another rediculous Educational Decree," he said in a low voice, "I might just burst." Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.

"I have found some books, that may shed some light on recent events," continued Umbridge. Dumbledore looked surprised. "They seem to be a biography of Harry Potter up to this date, but not in usual book form. No, it takes the form of a diary-"

"A diary? I don't keep a diary. I had an evil one for a day once, but I didn't make a biography-"

"Shush Harry, listen to Umbridge!" Hermione whispered  
"But," Umbridge continued "It also has all Potter's thoughts and feelings, like a window into his head." Harry gulped.

Dumbledore stood. "I will not permit this, Professor Umbridge. If it is, as you say, as a window into his head, it will contain personal things, and-"

"We are trying to get to the truth, Dumbledore!" Returned Umbridge with her nauseating sweet smile. "Does not the truth, especially in a matter as big as this, overshadow one child's embarrassment?"

Harry gagged. "She's going throught with this?" he whispered furiously. "Okay! Harry spoke a bit louder, for the Gryffindor table. "Please take no offense at anything my younger self may have thought, or anything...I want to see exactly how far into my brain this goes," he added, darkly. He would tell his friends from other Houses later...he did not want to embarass himself even more in from of the school saying that, he did not have enough friends in the other Houses to make up for that.

Just then, the Minister of Magic and a few Aurors walked in. "You requested that I come to Hogwarts, Dolores?" He inquired. "Yes," she replied. "I have found a biography of Mr. Potter's life, starting from a few days before he gets his Hogwarts letter, and a few observations from other perspectives. _Hem hem_ " she began. "The first book is called, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

* * *

A/N And that is that! The story kicks off, and NO, it is not one of those fictions that just start with a a chapter like this and leave you to imagine the rest. I have had enough of that, and I decided to make my own fic. It will be updated fairly frequently, and, (I hope) be very satisfactory. This is my first fic, so please don't judge too harshly.


	2. Chapter 2: The Boy Who Lived

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER TWO

" _Hem hem_ " Umbridge repeated. "The first book is called, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Minister, wasn't there a small piece in the news about a Sorcerer's Stone at the end of Mr. Potter's first year?" she queried. "Ahem." said Minister Fudge. "I believe there was, yes. At that point the only one in existence was destroyed, of course this was not a matter the Ministry would get involved with-you see it was the invention of an invdividual, not work in Department of Mysteries or anything. No, it was fully Mr. Nicolas Flamel's posession, he was fully entitled to do anything with it he pleased, as long as any other individual it involved agreed of course. Go on please, Senior Undersecretary."

"Senior Underbridge!" whispered Ron loudly at the Gryffindor table. Luckily, nobody heard him but the Gryffindors.

" _Hem hem_." Umbridge said again. _(REMEMBER: NO ACTUAL QUOTATION, OR VERY RARELY)

 **Memorable first line to the series.**

Harry groaned. Oh dear. All his secret were about to be revealed-he stood up. "Excuse me?" he said politely. "Yes, Mr. Potter?" replied Umbridge, her tone as sweet as always. "There is very personal stuff in there, Professor. could you please, erm, summarize it instead of reading every detail?" he asked nervously. "Oh Mr. Potter, I don't think we can do that," she replied. Oh dear. Not looking good... "you see, I want everybody to know just how much of a liar you are. And if we cannot see, as it were, into your mind-"

Harry lurched on his seat for a moment at that-he absolutely detested people seeing into his mind, much less the whole Great Hall, which, unfortunatly included Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabb and Goyle-"never know if you are lying or not, understand?" Umbridge had very obviously just come out of a long-winded explanation, but Harry had caught enough to understand.

"Yes Professor," he forced out. "good, now let us continue. Ahem..."

 **The book goes on to explain how normal Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are.**

 **Grunnings and drills...**  
Harry noticed that some people, especially Malfoy, was looking quite bored, although Harry was sure they were listening for dirt on him later.

 **Physical description of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley**  
 **Dudley is the best, in the Dursley's opinion.**  
 **The Dursley's have a secret. They do not want anybody to know.**

The Great Hall came to life, barely, with small whispers. "a secret? what secret?" was asked, but Harry's friends were sure that these Dursley's were Harry's relatives, and are curious, but at the same time respectful of Harry's privacy. They consider holding their ears, and suggest that to Harry, but Harry says "No, if everybody's gonna hear it, why can't my best friends? Especially when Malfoy, Umbridge, Fudge, AND," he paled suddenly " _Snape_. Who wants thier worst teacher ever knowing all their secrets? I am sure I can empathize with teh Dursleys, for once.

 **The Dursley's did not want anybody finding out about the Potters. Mrs. Dursley pretended not to have a sister. Her and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish** (sorry is that a copyrighted word?) **as it was possible to be. What would happen if they showed up on the street the Dursley's shuddered to imagine.**

 **Beginning of the day, Dudley is having a mini tantrum throwing cereal at the walls. Mr. Dursley laughs and heads to work.**

"That is...horrible parenting!" McGonagall gasps. "What self-respecting parent would let their child scream like that over nothing without some form of punishment? They will grow up vulgar and spoiled and and who knows what else!" She also privately added that she could not believe Potter had grown up there and NOT be spoiled, but she supposed this was somthing to admire in him. "I quite agree with you, Minerva. Every bad thing should be punished-and throwing a tantrum like that hardly warrants laughing and walking off."  
"May we please continue with the story?" Asked Snape. Harry growled at him. "Yes of course he wants to know all my secrets-the monster!" Harry said in an undertone.

 **None of them notice an owl flying past the window**

Several people sniggered.

 **Mr. Dursley picks out his most boring tie, and Mrs. Dursley gets Dudley in his high chair while whistling.**  
 **On the corner of the stree he noticed a cat, reading a map.**

Harry and co look at each other. "quite sure that's McGonagall" harry remarks.

 **For a second Mr Dursley does not realize what he has seen-then he looks around again for a better look. There's the cat, he thinks to himself, but not a map anywhere. Must have been a trick of the light. Now the cat is reading the sign that said "Privet Drive". Mr. Dursley shakes his head to clear it. Cats couldn't read maps** _ **or**_ **signs. Mr. Dursley puts the cat out of his mind.**

By this time, most people were sure that the 'cat' was an Animagus, and the people who had done their homework knew that the only cat Animagus was Professor McGonagall. "Why Minerva, what were you doing at Privet Drive?" asks Umbridge. "Reading a map! People with more sense than Mr. Dursley would have noticed it actually _was_ a cat reading a map-and decided somthing peculiar was going on." McGonagall interrupted tiredly. "We all know what might have happened, but I do not even know the date of this incident so I cannot explain right now." however, she shot a look to Dumbledore that Harry did not miss. "wonder what time frame this happens in," he mutters.

 **Mr. Dursley thought of nothing but drills for a while. However, he couldn't help noticeing there were many strangely dressed people about.**

"There must be more of wizarding folk in the Muggle world today," remarked Fudge. "We really need to learn how to dress as Muggles better-Muggle Studies ought to cover it. Miss Burbage, does Muggle Studies cover Muggle dressing?" Charity Burbage bristled. "Of course it does, Minister! The dress is one of the most important aspects of the Muggles to a wizard, it-" McGonagall interrupted "Not now, Charity. Maybe you can talk to Minister later."

 **People in cloaks.**

"They're not even trying!" cried the Minister, outraged.

 **Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed strangely-the styles you saw on young folk! He decided this must be some new fashion. His eyes then fell on a group of people huddled clsoe by, whispering together. Mr. Dursley was outraged to see a man older than he was-and he was wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! he thought savagely. But then is struck him that they might be collecting for somthing-some weird holiday he didn't remember, maybe. Yes, that would be it. He drove on and as he arrived at work, his mind was back on drills.**  
 **Mr. Dursley sat with his back to the window, so he missed continual owls swooping overhead.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

THE TRUTH REVEALED  
CHAPTER THREE

A/N Still thanks to all for reading, and I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are always helpful, and I am looking for a beta-reader at the moment.

A/N Today's chapter will be about the week between the first chapter's reading and the second-Umbridge may have wanted to read it asap, but Dumbledore knows education comes first, not to mention I like inventing my own story better than commenting on Rowling's work-but I like this format.

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

It was Monday. Harry had been given a copy of each book, which he, with Hermione's help, had been skimming through, trying to find more information they might want to skip. "It's like having your very own Penseive," mused Harry, in bed that night. "Only better, as you don't have to remember the memory and put it in-here we can pretty much re-live our past, and remember what we had forgotten. It's lovely and cool and everything Umbridge could have asked for..." Harry trailed off, then turned as white as a sheet. He ran over to Ron, shook him awake, and hauled him to the common room with the Invisibility Cloak "Hermione! Come quick!" he called up the girls dormitory.  
She came down, looking surprised. "I was doing homwork," she grumbled. "it's due next week."  
"Of course it is, do it later-but now, just thinkm how wonderful it would be if, in Umbridge's opinion, you think and _think_ about a way to prove Harry Potter for what he is-you know she likes _pacing back and forth_ right? What if she happened to be doing so in the _seventh floor corridor_?"  
Hermione gasped. "Harry-you're right. Let's see if we can do it again huh? I'll be thinking somthing of the sort and see what the Room brings us!"  
Harry threw the cloak over them. It was now a tight stretch, with all of them growing, but it still did. They raced to the seventh floor corridor and Hermione started pacing up and down.  
"Hermione, theres a door!" She spun around and opened it. She grinned hugely, and came out with an identical stack of books. "It's them!" she whipsered, excitedly. "The Room of Requirement must have a huge aount of magic for this-remember when it said how McGonagall fixed Dumbledore with a stare more penetrating than any? This room's magic-oh Harry! It's a very powerful bit of magic and-Harry! Slytherin made a secret chamber, why shouldn't Ravenclaw? A place for the knowledge of anything? No doubt .Anyways, she might not know about the room of Requirement, but Malfoy does. All she had to do was...anyways, we don't need these books we already have them. But no Slytherin should know-they'd get all the books they can for blackmail information and stuff-"

"Hermione, you're rambling and we can't understand a word you've said. Please quiet down," grinned Ron.

Hermione repeated her information, much more slowly, amd both Harry and Ron agreed. They put the books back, and went to bed.

"I'll tell Dumbledore in the morning," Harry informed them as they parted in the Common Room. "Dumbledore does not keep me ignorant of the password to his office anymore."

* * *

Knock knock.

"Come in!" called Dumbledore. Harry opened the door, and Dumbledore smiled. "Ah Harry. Sit down, now what it is it you wish to tell me?"

"Well sir, I believe we found out where Umbridge got the books from," Harry started. Dumbledore nodded him on. "Have you heard of the Room of Requirement sir?"

"I don't think so. Can you tell me?"

"Certainly sir. It's where we have been having the DA meetings." Dumbledore gave him a questioning glance, but Harry dismissed it saying it was wehre they'd been practicing Defense, but then remembering somthing-"Sir, I believe you have had an experience with it," he said suddenly. "Remember at the Yule Ball last year, you were telling sombody somthing about finding a room filled with chamber-pots?"

"That room?" Dumbledore asked, surprised. "It hardly seems like a room to practice Defense in,"

"Oh no sir, it just changes itself to whatever you need most at the moment. We needed a place to practice Defense, so that's what it became. It's just a blank stretch of wall until sombody walks past it three times thinking what they need. Dobby told us of it, and of course I could back it up remembering that conversation at the Yule Ball. So anyway, that's where Umbridge got the books from. Either she knows about it, or she was pacing and thinking and the door opened. Or sombody told her. Either way, we treid it and it worked. Identical copies of the books Umbridge had. The thing is, you can probably do it with anything. Hermione thought that would be the sort of the thing Rowena Ravenclaw would do-a room that provides you with whatever knowledge you seek."

"That is very perceptive of you, Harry."

"Just thought you might like to know, we found out last night. But, sir, I really have to get to class, if you don't mind,"

"Of course of course Harry, go on." Harry quitted the room, and Dumbledore mused on this.

* * *

Dumbledore was looking at the blank stretch of wall, pointed out to him by Dobby. He paced back and forth looking for the books on Harry-and as he turned for the third time, he saw a door. He entered and glanced through the books provided. He decided that these were the books Umbridge had.

He looked up. "Severus. what a pleasant surprise." the Dumbledore told Snape what Harry had told him, and Snape nodded, understanding. We should place some sort of detection around the area in the corridor, sir. Anyone trying to get acccess to this room-The Room of Requirement, he said?"

"Yes Severus. And that would be a good idea. We do not want a catastrophe like this one."

They left the room, and watched as teh door disappeared. Then they each went to his respective office.

* * *

The next day, Harry had Divination. Professor Trelawney predicted, to his complete and utter surprise, that he would not die early at all, but would live to a ripe old age, become Minister of Magic, and have twelve children. Ron snickered who would he marry? Harry told him to stuff it, while thinking of Cho. He shook his head to clear it-he liked Cho, certainly-but he hardly knew her. He just paid attention to her because she was pretty, and in retrospect that is a bad reason to date somebody. But she's nice and polite, he argued with himself. The rest of the lesson was spent in haze, and as he climbed down the ladder he shook himself, and walked with a quicker step.

* * *

That night, Harry mused on the day before. He'd had Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Potions had been as bad as usual, however Defense was new, as there was a new person teaching that day. It was, surprisingly, Auror Shacklebolt, whom Harry, Ron, and Hermione remembered from the Order. Harry could have sworn he winked as he passed. It had gone quite well, since he was a part of the Order-he knew about Voldemort being back, and said had said so. The class was shocked. He told them that, no matter what the Ministry or the press said, he was back, and had been for quite a while. One student spoke up to say what of nothing happening? Shacklebolt responded he was most likely gathering followers. Most of the class was disbelieving, but Shacklebolt told them that he would show facts, and he wanted the students to figure out for themselves, and look at the facts, and please don't be prejudiced because of whatever the press, the Ministry, or thier parents might say. He wanted, with no definite timeline, but at least by the end of the year, their ideas on what, why, how and when he had returned. They could present it at any time, and he would show them a couple facts each lesson, before the practical part. Everyone cheered. "Umbridge didn't let us do any practical," was the unanimous idea, along with that practical was good. Professor Shacklebolt then handed out thier textbooks, as "Defensive Magical Theory is a load of rubbish," and went on telling them to look up the spell and incantation for the spell Incarcerous, which bound the target in ropes. He then had them practice on each other, with cushioning charms.

Then Harry decided he could tell-not Dumbledore, but maybe Mcgonagall, about Umbridge's detentions, as she was gone now.

* * *

The next day, after Transfiguration, Harry went up to McGonagall and asked if they could talk for a bit in her office.

"Certainly," she replied in her crisp tone. Harry turned, to see his friends standing at the door. "Miss Granger, Mister Weasley, I believe you should go to your lessons." They both hastily departed for Charms.

McGonagall entered her office, and motioned Harry to be seated. "What is this about, Mr. Potter?"

"My detentions with Umbridge." McGonagall nodded. "she had me doing lines." McGonagall looked slightly surprised. "with a special quill. Look what it did." He showed her his hand. McGonagall gasped and stood straight up.

"I need to owl the Minister," she said in a shaky voice. "That is highly illegal, especially on minors!" she ranted, getting in a passion. "She used a Blood Quill for a detention!"

"Professor?" Harry asked. She looked around at him. "The Minister already knows. So does nearly everybody. I just wanted you to know what it was that she had me write. 'I must not tell lies'. The only thing she gave me detentions for were talking about Voldemort being back-I was wondering if using a Blood Quill does anything besides just use your blood to write with?"

"C-certainly, Mr. Potter. The more you do it, the more likely you are to act upon it. Not that that would have helped anything, from her perspective. It's not a lie, so it would have affected nothing other than your ability to lie with a straight face-also deceptions and tricks would be more likely to be confessed. Any information kept back-for example, the fact that you did not tel anybody earlier-would be more likely to be spilled. Though the longer you keep trying to resist, the more likely it will become for you to just blurt it out-unless of course you stop writing. I shall have to find out from Madam Pomfrey what the students have been required to write..."

"Professor? There was another thing I wanted to ask."

"Go on, Mr. Potter."

"Well, Professor Dumbledore does not seem to be noticeing me nearly at all-he is not even looking at me. Whereas before this year, he would speak to me in passing, or smile at me, and stuff. But now he is acting like none of that happened, like I'm just a regular student. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to tell him earlier-he is taking next to no interest in me. Actually, further than a student-he didn't even come to talk to me after the dementor attack, and he forbade Hermione and Ron from revealing anything to me. Can you explain that at all?"

McGonagall took a deep breath. "I think we should have him here for this, I am not the one to explain this. Wait here." she swept out of the office.

* * *

"Albus?"

"Yes, Minerva?"

"Mr. Potter has noticed your continued...neglection...of him. He told it all to me just now. How it used to be, how it is now. If You-Know-Who is spying on him, he will now know about the difference-it will do no good to shut him out any longer."

Dumbledore sighed. "I still cannot tell him anything-"

"At least take some notice of him! He has changed, Albus, since the Diggory boy died. He seems more apt to anger, and he seems...unfocused. He wants an explaintion of this, I told him I was not the one for that. You must come and explain, Albus. He is no longer that innocent child that obeys commands-watching a death, particularly of someone he had interacted with, changed him."

"Very well, Minerva."

"I left him in my office."

* * *

"Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office." McGonagall began. "He will explain what he can."

"Thank you, Professor."

* * *

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry called.

"Yes, Harry? I take it you want some explanation of my actions-or inactions?"

"Yes Professor. You don't seem yourself. We used to have at least some small interaction. You'd speak to me in passing, or something. Normally, you would at least have looked at me during my trial-but it's as if you don't dare. Not to mention you kept every scrap of information from me during the summer. You had me being guarded; why couldn't I have known this sort of thing? You used to tell me, or I didn't press. But things are different now. Voldemort's back, but he's been awfully quiet. Sirius told me a bit-now don't be mad at him, sir, but I needed to know some things! He's looking for something, that he didn't have before. Maybe a weapon? But sir, I know next to nothing about what's going on. Could I have some information?"

Dumbledore sighed."Very well Harry-a little. Remember near the Chrismas break, you had that dream about Mr. Weasley? How you said you were that snake?"

"Yes, Professor. What of it?"

"I believe-and don't repeat this to anyone-I repeat, anyone, aside from your freinds Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger-that there is a link in your scar directly to Voldemort's mind. You were seeing through him that night. Sirius told me that later, when you looked in my eyes for a moment, you wanted to kill me."

"Yes, sir," Harry mumbled.

"That was not you. I feared you were being possesed by Voldemort constantly-not just seeing visions while asleep. I did not want to communicate to him that we had more of a relationship than the student/teacher sort. That is why I had Severus teach you Occlumency, although it seems that is not working well."

"He won't tell me anything except clear my mind, sir, and he doesn't give any time to do it in. I don't see how that is learning. I don't understand how to clear my mind when he tries to enter. I just cannot clear my mind, and although I don't want him to have access to my mind, I cannot do it. My nightmares seem worse after the weekly Occlumency lessons-I take it Snape-"

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"Yes-he has told you of my nightmares of the locked door at the end of the corridor?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Well last lesson, he went through my memories, and one of them was running down a corridor to my hearing-we turned right. if that door to the courtroom had not been there, it is just like the corridor in my dream. And the lift said that level was the "Department of Mysteries". I suppose both locked doors in my dream and on that level are the Department of Mysteries?"

Dumbledore looked startled, although Harry thought he saw a gleam of triumph in his eyes-but no, it couldn't have been. "That could very well be, Harry. I think that now, Voldemort knows of this connection, and will not, to the best of his ability, let anything true come through. He might, however, tempt you to him with visions-hence the Occlumency lessons."

"I'll try to remember that, Professor."

"do you have anything else to ask?"

"No, Professor. I'll go now, unless you have anything else to say?" Harry asked.

"You may go, Harry."

* * *

The next day (Wednsday) Harry was brought a note carried by Colin Creevey summoning Harry to Dumbledore's office. McGonagall and the Minister were there as well.

"It is time to discuss the terms of reading, about punishments for past actions and emotional breakdowns, and things like that. We cannot go reading on blindly. What say you, Harry?"

"Sir, I probably remember any major events that happened, I probably have forgotten the details, but I will know what is comeing, and the chapter title will help a lot with knowing what's next. It might help if you tell me the chapter title beforehand, so if there is anything...inapproprite...I can read the chapter aloud and gloss over the parts that are unacceptable." Harry stated. "There is, the best of my knowledge, very few things I would not like revealed. Minister, could we, in this one instance, waive any punishments for illegal actions? Until now, as reading the books will show, any really illegal thing was rectified as much as possible without incriminating the person who did it, and I hope you would at least wait until the matter is resolved in the book before taking any action against anybody, as then yoiu would not have had the full story. Now I know you don't like me, or Dumbledore for that matter, but I could always say not to read to books, and destroy them. I do not wish to incriminate my freinds just because I want the secrets of a few of my enemies to get out."

Fudge was taken aback with the young wizard. He was acting like a fully responsible adult; not many would stand up to the Minister. But then, he reflected, this was the private story of his life. "Very well; I will at least wait until the matter is resolved in this book...but I will not guarantee anything."

"Very well, sir, but please don't let your dislike for certain persons to get in the way of justice."

"I have never allowed that to happen, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Minister."

Dumbledore and McGonagall stood shellshocked at the scene playing out before them. Harry Potter was threatening the Minister...and getting what he asked for...with no retribution?! They traded glances.

"Well, that seems to be all." Dumbledore started, but the Minister interrupted.

"Actually, Mr. Potter, would you mind having a reporter on this?"

"Not at all, Minister. Just do not appoint Rita Skeeter, and I am not responsible for the way the book portrays it. Also, try to get a reporter that reports...truthfully. I do not want a reporter that colors what he/she writes."

The Minister of Magic was stunned. "V-very well, Mr. Potter...I will set Tracy Ungrider on it."

"Thank you, Minister. I believe that is all?" Harry asked Dumbledore.

"Yes Harry." Dumbledore was still in shock. Harry left the room, right behind the Minister.

"Minerva," Dumbledore asked at last, "When did Harry...grow up?"

"Headmaster, I believe that happened when he saw the Diggory boy killed and Voldrmot brought back, both in the space of half an hour...he may have recovered while he stayed with his aunt and uncle, we just didn't see a whole lot of him at Grimmauld Place..."

* * *

A/N SO sorry for long wait-I had a bunch of RL stuff going on, I haven't got much of a chance to write...I also found a hard-to-resist fic of about 71 chapters, called "Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past" which I couldn't resist reading.  
Yes, I will continue writing, I read the second chapter last night and, as I read, I couldn't help but imagine people's reactions. The next story will (I hope!) come out much sooner than this one did, as the most challenging part is coming up with reactions, and who says them and things.  
A/N In reveiws, can I have a vote on whether you want quick, short chapters in quick succession or long chapters where one is the book-reading, and one is the week in between, because this story DOES have a plot outside of just reading. Some fics in progress seem to be saving the action of the characters reading until then end, but this is public-the characters will make a mess, along iwth being impatient. There's reasons for waiting a week between chapters; although I will look at it rationally, and they might read more on Sunday, or have time for another chapter on Saturday. Who knows? The future is open.


	4. Chapter 4: A Day of Life Before Hogwarts

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER FOUR

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

Saturday morning, everyone went to Great Hall early,and stayed for the reading. Everyone, that is, except for a few: a lot of NEWT students, and some OWL ones. Most of Harry's year, however, stayed for the reading. Hermione had brough along her book-bag.  
"Hermione, why did you bring your books?" asked Ron. Hermione looked at him.  
"Don't be silly, Ron, I do not want to get left behind on OWL studying! No offense, Harry, but OWLs are more important than listening to your private life."  
"What did you come for then?" Ron queried.  
"So I could take notes, of course!" Hermione said, in an exasperated tone. "What, you thought I would miss out? This is history! Missing it would be like missing a class, and going off of what the people who went said. Besides-"  
McGonagall pinged her spoon on her goblet like ringing a bell. "Could I have your attention, please?" she called. The Hall quieted down, and waited for her to speak. "The reading of the second chapter of **Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone** , which looks like it is from Mr. Potter's perspective, ten years after the first chapter. I will begin.

 **CHAPTER TWO: THE VANISHING GLASS**

* * *

There were exclamations of shock at Aunt Petunia's rude awakening of Harry.

Everyone knew that the flying motorcycle was not a dream-it was reality. But Harry had only been one year old at the time...everyone followed their own train of thought.

* * *

Some wondered at Harry's automatic dislike of Dudley's birthday.

It's ten years later! Did you never check up on him? He is living," she spat the last word, "in a cupboard. The one under the stairs. Mr. Potter, do they still treat you so horribly?"  
McGonagall reacted badly to the news of Harry living in the cupboard under the stairs.

* * *

"Depends. They still snap at me, but I don't live under the stairs any more. They-well, read on. I'm sure it'll say." McGonagall looked over her glasses at him. Hmm. The same behavious she had displayed last week...

* * *

He punches people for an excercise?" McGonagall wondered.

The whole school roared in derision at Dudley punching Harry. "If he ever came here, he'd have no freinds!" called some. "He's actually lucky he's a Muggle! He wouldn't stand a chance at Hogwarts!" yelled others.

"What!" screeched McGonagall at the news Harry only had old clothes of Dudley's to wear. "You never _did_ -oh nevermind," but she sent him a glare that said they'd talk later-out of hearing of the Minister.

* * *

"In the...WHAT!" McGonagall screeched again. "They told the Boy-Who-Lived his parents died in a-in a Muggle car crash!" There was deafening silence. Then, the Great Hall burst with so much noise that it was a wonder the enchanted roof didn't fly off.  
Then, McGonagall turned to Hagrid. "You're the one who brought him his letter, was the state this bad?" The Hall quieted down.  
"Yes Professor McGonagall, they hadn't told him nothin' abou' magic...he didn' know anythin'! Though' he were a common Muggle, not that he knew what the word meant. Had ter explain everythin', not that I thought I was the man fer the job-but he couldn' go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'. Those Muggle guardians o' his, they said an' I quote, "we swore when we took him in we'd stamp that nonsense out of him!" they said that."  
The Hall was silent. They turned to McGonagall, a silent plea for information.

* * *

"Good one, Harry! I'm sure he does still look like a pig in a wig. Your Aunt must be half-blind!" the Weasley twins joked and thumped him on the back. Harry whispered, "Now, I'd say his hair looks like Malfoy's. Thick blond haid that lies smoothly on his head? Malfoy to the hair." Everyone nodded.

* * *

"You mean to say, he was dissappointed to get thirty-six presents?" inquired Professor Sinistra with a start. "Frankly, I'm surprised Harry managed to avoid being spoiled-"  
"He didn't." sneered Snape. "He seems plenty spoiled to me."  
"Severus..." Dumbledore sighed. "another time?" Snape grumbled.

* * *

"He can't even do math..." Sprout said wonderingly, "and he is worried about two less than last year with that many?"  
"I'm sure his mental age is more like five," Snape...snorted, or as close to it as he came. "Those baby names his parents have are degrading in every way."

"They enourage greediness?" asked Professor Vector blankly.

The muggleborns quickly explained what a computer and VCR was, although Slytherins were woefully without a source.

* * *

"Figg?" mumbled Dumbledore to Snape. "Wasn't there a Squib by the name of Figg in the Order?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. He had known Mrs. Figg lived in the area when he took Harry to see his parents, and was looking out for him sort of, but he'd never known how. But it was strange to think Harry hated it there.

"There's a boy's instictual morals working!" said Flitwick, at the news that Harry had felt he ought to be sorry for Mrs. Figg breaking her leg.  
"mm," he mumbled.

* * *

The Hall gasped. "What a spoiled braggart!" called Malfoy, at news of Dudley's fake tantrum. "No wonder Potter's so arrogant!  
"Mister Malfoy, may I remind you that this is a public area. Personal grudges will be dealt with privately, is that clear?" Professor McGonagall said with authority.  
"Yes Professor," snarled Malfoy. Snape looked annoyed, both because his favorite student had spoken like that, and because _he_ was Head of Slytherin House-not McGonagall. Although, he wouldn't swap with her in a million years-or maybe he would. I'd get to expell all the Gryffindors... Snape mused, but was brought back by McGonagall reading.

* * *

McGonagall let out a strangled sort of yelp, "he doesn't even let them fight back?" she demanded of the book.  
The Hall kept on gasping- in all the right places, too, thought Harry, who knew from experience what that was like, when telling a story. Not that this was like telling Ron and Hermione about Quirrel and the Stone...

* * *

"Right-accidental magic showing," grinned Seamus.

Several grinned appreaciatively. A list of his accidental magic! Anybody likes hearing about other's accidental magic.

Many shuddered-who _would_ want to wear that? Orange with brown puff balls...Not that it was any surprise-Dudley was horrible.

"Accidental...Apparating?" asked Fudge. "That's uncommon..."

* * *

The Great Hall laughed at Vernon's antics when Harry mentioned his flying motorcycle dream.

 **"** Good one, Harry!" said Dean Thomas. "But don't blame the gorrilla-blame Dudley. Actually don't-it's not his fault he's being impersonated by a gorilla!" Harry grinned.

* * *

"What food is called knickerbocker glory?" asked an amused Hufflepuff.

The Hall would have stared if it could, so instead everyone stared at their friends, then back at McGonagall. Snakes... _winking_?

The reporter for the Daily Prophet nearly fell out of his chair, along with the Minister.  
"Are you saying," Fudge said, glaring at Dumbledore, "that Harry Potter- _the_ Harry Potter-speaks _Parseltongue_?"  
"I believe so, although I never knew of this incident." responded Dumbledore calmly, looking to McGonagall to read on.

* * *

"No meals?" screeched McGonagall. Harry covered his ears nervously-McGonagall was screeching far too often for comfort, when reading.  
"Minister," said McGonagall frostily, "could we call Madam Bones in? There is a criminal file that should be made. Besides, I'm sure she'll want to hear this herself." The Great Hall moaned while the reading was put on hold for Madam Bones to be summoned through the Floo.

* * *

The Hall, as one, shuddered. Who knew what it was like to have the Killing Curse fired at your forehead?

* * *

Several people sniggered. "Of course-who wouldn't? Harry Potter's still famous, even when he doesn't know he is!"

* * *

"So, a basic day in Harry Potter's life before he heard of magic, got his letter, or anything exciting happened." announced McGonagall. "The only exciteing thing that happened today, or, today in the book, according to Harry as he was then, was going out with Dudley, talking to a snake, and Vanishing some glass. I for one...wish that didn't happen. On another note, that's the end of the chapter. The next one is called "The Letters From No One", which sounds like his Hogwarts letter. It has barely been an hour or two, who wants to do another chapter? If we do that, we can stop and have lunch, and then continue or do homework..."  
Many hands shot up into the air. McGonagall looked Harry's way, and he discreetly nodded. It would do no good for the entire school to know that he was sanctioning the reading of these, and it could do harm.  
"There will be a twenty minute break before the commencement of the chapter; if you would tell your freinds that the next chapter is being started, the one where, most likely, he gets his Hogwarts letter, that would be most appreciated." McGonagall announced. "But the reading is still not mandatory, it is optional."  
Many students raced off to their dormitories, and were back within the curfew, and some brought a few friends, while still others staid away. More came than normally would have, however-this was Harry Potter's _Hogwarts letter_!

* * *

 _Author's Notes_ :

Anyway, the chapters wil still be going a bit slowly, but! I'll be giving all my free time to it, unless I feel seriously not in the mood...but usually, once I start, I can't stop!

Sometimes I cannot sleep, and those are the times I get a chapter a day done, but that's kinda rare...either way, I usually have a lot of free time, so loads of chapters will be comeing out! I wouldn't say a chapter a day, but if that _does_ happen, it's lucky chance that I got everything else out of the way first.

As always, thanks a lot for reviews! I have gotten numerous e-mails about people favoriting, likeing, and following. I promise you will not be dissappointed!

And no, I will not abandon my story! Well, I'm not a Seer, so unless I am murdered or kidnapped or somthing like that, I will at the _very least_ tell you it's done, or pass it along to someone else to finish, if they'd like. Not yet, however, I'm still going strong, and thanks for reviews!


	5. Chapter 5: The Run From Wizards

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER FIVE

A/N I may end up quoting McGonagall's line from the first movie "May I have your attention please?" at least once per chapter. "Sorry 'bout that!" but I try to keep characters _in_ character.

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"May I have your attention please?" McGonagall called for attention. She got it immediately. It was a very rare moment, in which she had the full attention of every student. Usually, there were one or two who didn't pay attention; like Draco Malfoy. But this was the chapter where Potter gets his _Hogwarts letter_ , thought Malfoy savagely. I can break my self-inflicted rules once or twice, can't I? Special occasion, Draco! He told himself. He looked up.  
"We are reading the thrid chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It is called; The Letters From No One. I will commence.

 **CHAPTER THREETHE LETTERS FROM NO ONE**

"Harry Hunting...this can't be good," moaned Neville

* * *

"Only because I didn't want a punishment; I'm quite ready to laugh now," Harry said, as the rest of the Hall showed no restraint at Dudley's Smeltings costume and his parents reactions.

* * *

"What-that-they included actual questions like 'what's this' in 'no questions'? Flitwick asked in surprise.  
"Professor, they included _everything_ in 'no questions'," Harry remarked.

* * *

"I'm surpised!" snarled McGonagall in mock surprise. "They're making their Ickle Dudlykins go get the mail! How much worse can it get?"

"Good one, Harry!" grinned Ron. "Make him get it!"

"Oi!"

* * *

The Great Hall roared. Harry finally got his letter. The Gryffindors, however noticed an odd look on Harry's face. "You'll see," he said, in an amused tone.

* * *

"What?!" Nobody, _ever_ , wrote to the Boy-Who-Lived?

 **Who would?**

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts!" the Hall sang the whole song, the whole while, for once, McGonagall did that odd smile she had, where she tried not to smile, but failed miserably. The others teachers smiles were not the fake ones that usually came up with the school song, rather they tried to repress it. Failing miserably all of them.

* * *

The Hall gasped. "He took it away!" they roared. The Gryffindors now half understood Harry's odd look. "They took away his letter!"

* * *

The school yelled in appreaciation as Vernon's expresssion.

* * *

"Never thought he'd do that," someone from the Hufflepuff table muttered at Vernon's rough treatment.

* * *

Dumbledore went white. McGonagall noticed, but Dumbledore kept secrets. Dumbledore's mind was far away, nearly a hundred and forty years ago, to Ariana...his mother...his brother...and Grindelwald. Ariana had tried keeping her magic down; it had killed his mother, nearly destroyed his sister... you should never try to repress magic, Dumbledore thought bitterly. McGonagall interupted his thoughts.

* * *

"They'd never visited his cupboard before?" asked several.  
"Why'd he need to?" asked Harry, "he sees me around the house enough."

* * *

"Can he even smile?" muttered Ron randomly.

 **which looked quite painful.**

* * *

"What? They had a spare bedroom?" gasped Sinistra.

* * *

The mouths of the people in the Great Hall fell open more and more with every sentence. "WHAT? They have two-TWO! Spare bedrooms, and Harry gets the cupboard under the stairs?" several people shouted.

* * *

"That's just a mark of how few belongings he has," muttered someone from the Hufflepuff table.

* * *

A few people muttered about how that's as it should be; throw tantrums like that and you don't get it.

* * *

 ****"Yes you should have," muttered Hermione, who had her eyes wide open the whole time.

* * *

"Good for you, Harry!" grinned the Weasley twins.  
"He needed that-"  
"Stomped on his face!"  
"As much as you needed a new room-"  
"Letter or not!"

* * *

"Think it'll work?" muttered a Hufflepuff to his freind. "or'll they just use _bombarda_?

* * *

The Hall was thinking along the lines of "Petunia knows more about wizards than Vernon does-she's the one with a wizard sister!"

* * *

All this time the whole Hall had been bulging with suppressed laughter; now the dam burst, starting with the Weasley twins and their brothers, which of course broke it for everyone; the whole Hall was now ringing with laughter such as had never been heard before there.  
"Bathroom? They threw letters through the bathroom window?"

* * *

"HA!" yelled most people in the Hall. "good for...err...whoever delivers the letters"

* * *

"They're leaving the house?"

* * *

"Good to know how the mail system at a hotel works then," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. He sent a meaningful look Hagrid's way, who grinned.

* * *

Everyone was stunned. That kind of...wooden old house? McGonagall kept reading into the silence.

"I can understand them doing such a thing to Harry, but to his own family? Just to prevent Harry from getting his Hogwarts letter?" asked Flitwick, amazed. "and that pitiful amount of food! Everyone nodded their assent.

* * *

Malfoy broke out of his shock to say "Muggles don't know that the first thing about being a wizard is casting spells, and that means impervious charms and brooms!" derisively. The Muggle-borns all gave him scandalised looks. Luckily none were near him.

* * *

Everyone grew more tense by the second. Rumblings and shakings-who knows whats next?

 **three... Two... One... BOOM.**

Everyone gave a startled yell, as McGonagall had given a very good impression of the boom that seemed to Harry to only happen yesterday. He was now grinning from ear to ear.

 **Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

Harry gave Hagrid the biggest grin ever. Hagrid grinned right back. The turning point if Harry's life was going to be revealed- _after lunch._  
"Chapter's over!" announced McGonagall, and as the students made the connection that they'd have to wait until _after lunch_ to finish, they started yelling.  
"We can't have _that_ sort of..."  
"Cliffhanger?" supplied McGonagall. "And yes we must; my throat is sore. It probably will be best if Professor Snape took the next turn," and turning to Snape, she grinned evilly at him while holding out the book. Snape stared at it, and the looked up at McGonagall.  
"No! He'll make it was unexciting as possible!"  
"Give the book to someone else!"  
"How about Professor Flitwick?" asked Luna dreamily from the Ravenclaw table. "Professor Snape can have a different chapter, he seems to me entirely susceptible to Nargles, he might leave us hanging."  
"I am not going to read of the most important moment in Potter's life; I do not want to see the words. I'm sure they are as arrogant as Potter is. He-"  
"Severus, please..." Dumbledore muttered. "Just hand it off to Filius then, Severus," he said more loudly. Snape sneered and handed it off.

* * *

 _Author's Notes_

How's it going, guys? I have a _lot_ of free time recently, even after I had some extra projects today! Happy Father's Day everyone! Or well, that is tomorrow. I probably won't post tomorrow though, so today it is! Of course, no guarantees on that post.  
I'm sure that at this point, it is assured that I will not quit-any time soon anyways. Characters Read the Books scenarios are much faster written than others.

I am going to do a little rewrite, as I think it's not a very good idea to quote like I am doing, so look to see a change! I will not change the plot; I'll just leave out parts of the quotations and stuff, Y'all have already read the books anyway! It most likely will put a hold on posting, but that's better than having the story taken down isn't it? It'll also make the stories much shorter-but don't worry, plot will still be there! I _will_ do small quotes-like that part at the end...


	6. Chapter 6: Muggles Always Get Caught

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER SIX

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

McGonagall shut the book with a snap. "We will have lunch, then continue," she announced. The students moaned. Harry wasn't so concerned-he knew what was next, and through the whole meal was grinning at Hagrid like a maniac. Of course, Hagrid grinned right back.

* * *

Once the meal was done, Dumbeldore Vanished the food like usual; but he also sent the dishes away. "Best be comforable!" he said, before looking to Flitwick continue reading.

* * *

"What's a rifle?" asked the Minister confusedly, as Flitwick read about Vernon yelling **"I warn you-I'm armed!"**  
Professor Burbage asnwered that with, "it's a kind of Muggle wand-they pull a trigger and a small bit of metal comes out, flying faster than sound, to hit whereever they aimed. If it lands in the brain it will usually cause instant death, the same if it hits the heart or neck, lungs, or any major organs. If hit in the wrong places, say an arm or a leg, it causes unchecked bleeding until you can stop it. There are different sorts; the most general name is gun, like we call our wands simply wands; while they have other terms for different types, like rifle, revolver, musket-"  
"I think we understand what a rifle is now, Charity." said McGonagall wearily.

"SMASH!" yelled Flitwick suddenly. McGonagall started, then said "Filius, please do try not scare the students,"

Flitwick read on. Then he stared at the book. "Really Hagrid? A cup of tea, after smashing down the front door on the middle of the sea? 'Sorry 'bout that,'" he said, in his best Hagrid impersonation. Hagrid grinned sheepishly.  
"You are a very good actor, Filius, but please, let the rest of us know what happened."  
A bit later-"oh everyone! The Dursleys finally get their comeuppance! And Hagrid deosn't even know what they've done! Ahem **-"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune, " said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked thegun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw itinto a corner of the room.""** Flitwick smiled. "Good for you, Hagrid!"

* * *

"Aww!" cooed Hermione when Hagrid handed Harry his cake.

Hagrid chuckled. "Good ter know it was on yer mind, Harry!" he called, at Harry's trying to say thank you for the cake. "He knows his manners!" he whispered loudly to Professor Sinistra sitting beside him.

" **He had gone to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.** Now-really! He doesn't even know about magic-oh dear..."  
Ron said to Harry, "If he called Vernon a 'great prune' when Dursley hadn't doen anything Hagrid knew about, I want to see what he does to them after finding this out..."  
"I am not going to ruin the fun, you know-it's very climactic."

" **CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid,** "  
"Can't wait to see this," Ron muttered,

"All right-" Flitwick paused. He slowly looked up at Hagrid. "Y-you said the name? You said the name so Harry Potter could know it? The Sorting Hat was right!" he turned to Professor Sprout. "You've said he should belong in Hufflepuff. Don't you agree now the Sorting Hat was right?"  
The Hall gave a gasp at the news that Hagrid said the name. Hagrid looked increasing desperate for the floor to swallow him up. Harry gave Hagrid a giant grin-it would not have looked out of place on Hagrid himself, Harry thought.

* * *

" **Load of old tosh** "! Vernon Dursley says "Load of old tosh" to all that happened back then!" Flitwick squeaked. "Load of old tosh! As if!" The rest of the staff were as angry at that as Flitwick, but the students pleaded for more.

The human content of the Great Hall was growing more anxious by the second at Hagrid's responses to the Dursley's and Harry, and how this must have felt for Harry.

* * *

 **"He'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled -" "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME-"** I am not going to voice those instults!" Flitwick said.  
"Don't mind me, Filius. Just keep on reading," said Dumbledore kindly.  
"If you insist..." mumbled Flitwick. " **I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!"** Flitwick screeched. The Great Hall gasped. Then they turned as one to look at Hagrid, who had conflicting emotions on his face. For one, he looked excited and manic, and for the other, he looked furious with the Dursleys.  
Ron and Hermione pestered Hary for asnweres. "You'll find out in a moment," Hary said, a crazy grin on his face.  
" **Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head,**  
 **"NEVER, " he thundered,**  
 **"- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE -IN- FRONT- OF- ME!" He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.** " The Hall roared with laughter, and some fell of the benches. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindor first years were holding their sides and gasping. Harry and Hagrid sported wide grins for the rest of the chapter.

* * *

"Now wait a moment!" said Fudge. "what year is Human Transfiguration taght at?"  
McGonagall answered hesitantly, "sixth year..."  
"And I believe you were expelled in third year-" Fudge began, but McGonagall interrupted him.  
"I wish to congratulate you on a very impressive spell, Hagrid, one you had never learned. I'm sure my beginners wouldn't have done half as well." Fudge looked flustered with McGonagall's praise.  
McGonagall then whispered, "remember your agreement with Dumbledore," she warned. He sat down agan, stumped.

* * *

"Chapter's done!" called Flitwick cheerfully. "lucky for us, that only took an hour, and the next chapter is called "Diagon Alley" so I think we all know what that is, Pomona, do you want to do the honors?" asked Flitwick, handing Sprout the book.  
"Certainly."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_  
I know this is a short chapter, but the climax was good! I believe I wrote the chapter in under half an hour-that includes reading the entire chapter to myself over again, as I wrote. Hey, I can seriously _write_ when I'm motivated! There's so many moments I try and ensnare!


	7. Chapter 7: The Leaky Cauldron

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER SEVEN

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"We will now read chapter Seven: Diagon Alley," said Professor Sprout.  
The Hall erupted in whispers; several people shouted  
"We get to see him get his wand!"  
"We get to see him go into his Gringotts vault!"  
"We get to see him get his robes!"  
"We get to see him get his books!"  
"We get to see him-"  
"That is quite enough!" shouted Professor McGonagall. The Hall didn't quiet down. "If I could have your attention, please?" she asked. She only used that line if necessary; they usually heard it and went quiet from habit at the Welcoming Feast; she saved it for necessity.  
"We will get to see the book describe these things, but we need to _read_ it to see that, so be quiet and let Professor Sprout read!"  
Harry was wondering nervously if he wanted everyone to know about his wand core; so he asked McGonagall if there could be a break, for people to leave and get freinds, or use the loo; and she assented. As people left the Hall, Harry hurried up to Dumbledore and asked about his wand. "Should we let everyone know about my wand's core? The connection?" he asked anxiously.  
Dumbledore whispered, "Harry, I think that should be kept a secret. I will mention it to Professor Sprout, and tell her to skate over that."  
"Thank you, sir," said Harry, and hurried back to his seat.  
Dumbledore strode over to where Professor Sprout was sitting, and hurriedly explained what she was to do. She looked startled, but agreed "That is not something we should let the public know, what with a reporter on the case and all."

"Ahem! Chapter Five: Diagon Alley," began Sprout.

* * *

Everyone moaned softly over Harry's not-knowledge of the basic currency.

"Don't have any money?" repeated Sprout incredulously. "-"  
"Don't worry, I've got enough in my vault," said Harry, glancing at Ron. He'd purposely NOT said "Oh I've got a whole bunch," because Ron didn't have hardly any. Several times he'd thought about trying to give them some, but he knew they'd reject the offer immediatly.

* * *

Fudge grumbled at Hagrid using magic, but his agreement with Dumbledore had been quite clear.

* * *

" **But he'd never leave Hogwarts, o' course, so old Fudge got the job,** Sounds right, Fudge. You don't need to worry about Dumbledore overthrowing you or anything-he loves Hgowarts."  
Fudge bristled at Hagrid referring to him as 'old Fudge'. " **So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, asking for advice** " Fudge grew red.

* * *

"A joke, mister Potter?" asked McGonagall. "If I know the Dursleys, they don't have a sense of humor, much less the bravery to go through with it, they cannot even say the words magic, wizard, wand, etc, etc.

* * *

"Well you are right, Harry. What the Muggles would see if they did go in there, they wouldn't believe, and their memories would have to be erased as well." Dumbledore winked. Harry was slightly bored at all this, as he'd learned the answers to all these issues on his own.  
"I'd like to register my ideas that most of the issues being brought up have been resolved before now," Harry hid a smile. "Of course I know about the leaky cauldron, and by, now, what do you think I think about this being a joke? I can't live in the magical world for five years without agreeing that it is not, in fact, a joke at all. I think I learned that part at least when I went through platform nine-and-three-quarters. It's very entertaining listening to this, however, Professor Sprout, do go on."

* * *

Futureflash:

 _The next day, an old woman read the Daily Prophet and realized what everyone had stared at her for in Leaky Cauldron that day. She chuckled to herself, wondering how she could have missed puffing on her pipe without realizing it had gone out, and decided she could die in peace. She had firmly remained alive until she figured out that mystery, but she was nowhere near dying yet, she reasoned, and there might very well be a new thing I'll convince myself to stay alive for. I'll not bet on it at the moment._

* * *

Harry started, and turned towards Ron and Hermione. "guys! Quirrell shook my hand that day in the Leaky Cauldron. He must not have been possessed yet at that time!" Hermione and Ron looked at him. "If I'd known everything beforehand, I could have told him not to do it!" Harry moaned. "It's all-"  
"Harry, do you hear yourself?" Hermione asked, shocked."You knew nothing-I repeat, nothing!- About what was going on that day. You hadn't even gone to Gringotts yet! Don't you dare blame yourself!" she shook a finger at him threateningly.  
"Okay, okay..."

* * *

Most everyone knew what Harry felt like; "need eight eyes?" mumbled one student to his freind. "more like eight dozen..."

* * *

Dumbledore and Hagrid smiled at Hagrid's refusal to tell Harry what the You-Know-What in vault 713 was.

* * *

Several people giggled. "Stalagmite's got an m in it," they whispered. Hagrid grinned.

* * *

"S-small fortune?" Neville gasped. "Harry, that's not a _small fortune,_ it's a giant one!" Harry shifted in his seat uncomfortably glancing at Ron. He looked resigned.  
Harry whispered to him, "See Ron, I'd split it in half with your family if I thought your mum would accept it," Ron's eyes bugged out and looked at Harry.  
"You're serious?" he asked, in a whisper.  
"No, I'm not," Harry joked. "Sirius is serious." Ron facepalmed. "But yes, I mean it," Harry grinned widely. He committed that conversation to memory to tell Sirius about when he had the chance.

* * *

Harry darted a glance at Malfoy when Madam Malkin mentioned another boy being fitted up. Malfoy didn't seem to notice.

A couple sentences later, however he recognized himself. He sent a curious glare Harry's way, and looked absolutely shocked and insulted to be compared to Dudley. Harry nudged Ron and Hermione to look that way, and all three erupted into silent laughter.  
His look turned to smugness as his younger self asked Harry questions about Quidditch and Houses, and as Harry pointed out Hagrid. His expression turned to outrage as everyone in the Hall looked at him for questioning Harry about his parents. "Look, I didn't know it was Potter!" he argued with his classmates. "See, I _did_ ask him!" he pointed out, as another sentence was read. "It's his fault he never answered. I found out on the train."

* * *

"Hard to explain the rules of Quidditch!" roared the imaginary Oliver Wood in Harrys mind. "What's he thinking?" The other Quidditch fanatics were yelling things along the same lines, but Harry didn't mind.

* * *

" " **Everyone says Hufflepuff are a bunch 'o duffers, but-** " I resent that!" Sprout said angrily, while the Hufflepuffs rose up to yell at Hagrid. "Let me finish my sentence!" Hagrid roared, pointing at the book.

* * *

"Whoa, Potter, you almost said the name!" said one of the Aurors with Fudge.  
"I say it all the time now," said Harry, sensing fun, "VOLDEMORT! VOLDEMORT! See? I say it all the time now!" the Auror looked as if he'd wet his pants, and Fudge and the rest of the Hall looked around wildly for a moment before glaring daggers at Harry. Harry winked at Hagrid, having done the same thing to him at the end of his first year. He grinned. Hagrid grinned back.  
"What've y'all two done together so much you've been grinning like maniacs ever since the letters were mentioned?" asked Ron, a tad crossly.  
"Well you know, I shouted that same thing to Hagrid in the hospital wing at the end of first year, and I knew him for about a month before I met you. I daresay we-and Hermione-will be grinning like maniacs all through the books once we meet each other," Harry said casually. "Remember when we first met each other? Sorry if my first impressions are bit off,"

* * *

The whole Hall wholeheartedly agreed with Harry on cursing Dudley-who punches another kid just for fun?

* * *

"I see that you were just as arrogant then as now, Potter, by now you must know that in my class, a solid gold cauldron would be-"  
"Severus, drop it please?" McGonagall hissed.

* * *

"I remember that, I-"  
" **Sounding just like Professor Quirrell."**  
"Yeah, that," Harry finished sheepishly.

* * *

People started whispering as Ollivander was mentioned. Dumbledore gave Sprout a meaning look.

 **"Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple,"** read Sprout.

" **Oh bravo! Yes indeed, very good, oh very good..."** Sprout glanced at Dumbledore discreetly, and skipped halfway down the page. "As they left the shop, Harry **wasn't sure he liked Ollivander too much."** Dumbledore had a satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

"Chapter's over!" called Sprout, and the _Daily Prophet_ reporter hurried from the castle.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Sorry if my story is a bit late, or if the next few chapters come in a batch, it's been raining a lot lately and I haven't been able to get a solid connection to my satellite WiFi for 2 days on the twnetieth. I'll post as soon as I can, and in the meanwhile, I'll keep writing! You'll get a nice clutch of eggs this time, don't worry! Any reviews or PMs won't reach me in the rain, but I'll see them once it stops!


	8. Chapter 8: The Train Ride

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER EIGHT

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"Severus, would you take the next chapter?" Sprout asked.  
"If you insist..." Snape responded. "The Journey From Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters."

* * *

"You _did_ read _A History of Magic_ , Harry!"  
"I _told_ you I did, I just opened it once when I first got it, and I was bored!"  
"So that's where you got the name Hedwig from," remarked Ron.

* * *

"We need to make sure the Obliviators got there, they're probably still wondering about that," said Fudge, at Vernon's mentioning taking Dudley to the hospital to get **"that ruddy tail removed"**

* * *

People kept mentioning things like,  
"You were right, you don't walk to the train in robes, yes you do change on the train,"  
"Hagrid _did_ forget to tell you, just walk through the barrier-"  
"Yes, don't mention the platform number, there is no nine and three quarters to the Muggles," until Harry tuned them out. He made sure to pay attention to the other stuff though.

* * *

Harry and Ron grinned humongously at Harry's first seeing the Weasleys.

* * *

"Hey! I remember that!" Fred whispered.  
"sure," Harry responded, "now I know which twin you are! "Fred, right?"  
"No, I'm Fred," said George.  
"Don't do it again," Ron said despairingly. "Look, Harry, you just look at their grins. George grins with his mouth tilted to the left, Fred to the right. See?"  
"oh. Never saw that before." Ron and Harry grinned again. The twins looked dumbfounded. "But-what happened to-?" they looked at each other, then at Ron. "That's 'cause we're mirror images, Ron, not duplicates."  
"Look in a mirror," Hermione offered.  
"We will. Then we'll ask Flitwick for a charm to fix it!"  
Ron groaned. "Oh no...now I'll never be able to tell them apart!"

* * *

"Ah," the twins groaned. "That's why we couldn't point you out, but, oh well. She's seen you since,"  
"I'd expect, I stayed all summer before second year, half of last summer, and most of the other summers. I mean, if she _hadn't_ I'd be worried for her sanity!"

* * *

"Ha!" Harry whooped, punching the air. "Ron, we finally meet!" He and Ron had identical grins.  
"Hey, if you two looked like us-"  
"You'd really look like us!"  
"You stole our grins!"  
"They're our trademark!"  
"oh shut up you two, we're happy!"

* * *

"As interesting? Are you mad?" demanded Ron.  
"You...er...well you were the first person my age I could talk to on equal terms, unlike Malfoy in Madam Malkin's," Harry reasoned.

* * *

Fred and George stared at each other, then at Ron. "You think it wouldn't be a great deal if you did all that stuff?" they asked, awed. "Blimey, Ron, what would mum say if she heard that?"  
"Oh shut up, both of you."  
"We only got thre OWLs, Ron-"  
"And I haven't been tested yet," Ron said gloomily.

* * *

"My sentiments exactly," said Sprout, when Harry said Voldemort's name. Nobody knew, because Snape just said 'you know who'...

* * *

" _weird!"_ echoed the Hall, as Ron said so five years ago about Muggle photos.

* * *

"I hope that doesn't mean you have a problem with me?" asked Sprout, as in the book Ron told Harry " **Bleaaargh-see? Sprouts"**  
"Of course not, Professor, just the flavor," Ron called back, his ears pink.

* * *

"A-a bossy sort of voice?" Hermione demanded. "Rather large front teeth? Harry, I expected better of y-"she burst out laughing "Oh, I almost got through that with a straight face...oh my..." Harry and Ron started laughing too, but the twins stared.  
"You have a horrible 'straight face', Hermione. Can't _believe_ we didn't see it sooner!"  
"Oh bugger off, you two," Ron said, waving a hand.

* * *

"Harry," asked Neville uncertainly, "why does the book keep calling me 'the toadless boy'?"  
"Dunno, Neville, but I certianly don't think about you that way any more-and I've got a suggestion, so nobody thinks that way-just use a Summoning Charm," Neville facepalmed.  
"Why didn't I think of that sooner?" he moaned. "don't worry, Neville! Listen to the book!"

* * *

"You hoped I wouldn't be in your House?" asked Hermione amusedly.  
"yeah..." muttered Ron. "But my mind's been changed ever since that troll incident," he added brightly. "I'm glad you got into Gryffindor, though I still say your more of a Ravenclaw type..."

* * *

"He went back to sleep, the traitor," muttered Ron, when Scabbers went to sleep after saving them from the Slytherin Trio. "Even after he protected us, he's still a snot-nosed traitor not worthy of Gryffindor," the others near him aside from Hermione and Harry looked at him as if he was crazy.

* * *

"Time to get off the train!" he whispered excitedly. "can't wait 'till the-" he stopped dead. "oh"  
"What?" whispered Ron urgently.  
"The Sorting." Harry answered. "Everyone'll see what the Hat has to say...oh err.. there's somthing I should tell you..."  
"what?" asked Ron warily.  
"The Sorting Hat said I'd do well I Slytherin. I told it 'not Slytherin' and it put me in Gryffindor... But Dumbledore said I was a real Gryffindor, 'cuz I pulled the Sword out of the Hat. It's Gryffindor's sword, Ron..." Ron was staring at Harry wide-eyed. Harry got nervous. "Ron-"  
"Mate, do you honestly think I'd leave you just 'cause you might have been in Slytherin? I'm glad you weren't in Slytherin-what would happen if you became _freinds_ with _Malfoy_?"  
"I know, but...I don't want the world knowing I almost got in Slytherin. I hope there's a chapter between now and the Sorting..."

* * *

"Chapter" announced Snape, "Is over."  
Hary breathed a huge sigh of relief.  
"I believe the students will want a short break. Students, the next chapter starts in half an hour. Find your freinds, stay behind, go to the loo, but the chapter starts in half an hour!" his eyes twinkled. Harry dashed up to the staff table once most of the students had cleared out. Sir-sir, I don't want anybody knowing about what the Hat said-"  
"No need to worry, Harry, I will be taking the next chapter," Dumbledore asnwered kindly. Harry breathed another sigh of relief.  
"Thank you, sir." Then he dashed back to his seat. Hermione had her head in a book, and Harry got out his homework.  
Once the half an hour was up, Dumbledore stood, and announced: "This is the last chapter for today. I think it will be the best place to stop, all things considered. I will take the next chapter. Severus, the book, please?" Snape handed Dumbledore the book and sat down.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Hey all! Still raining, and forecast says it'll be raining all week, so be prepared for a big, juicy story! As a matter of fact, I got this done on the same day as the last chapter, so you'll have a pack full of stories.

Anyway, how do you like the story? Lots have favorited the story, so many I have trouble getting rid of them all! See you soo-uh, in about a week?


	9. Chapter 9: Almost A Slytherin!

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER NINE

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"Chapter seven: The Sorting Hat"

The students applauded. "They're gonna see the Sorting!" commented Ron. "I hope it doesn't mention how queasy we all feel..."

"Who cares what your Aunt Petunia would let into the house, she wouldn't let the Sorting Hat in the house if it was clean as a whistle!" yelled a Ravenclaw Prefect. "She obviously hates magic, so she would not let any magical item in her house!" Harry agreed, of course.

"Why would you try and get a rabbit out of the hat? Why not conjure one, like normal?" asked a Hufflepuff. Her neighbors quickly explained about the magicians in the Muggle world, and how that was a common trick.

* * *

"Oh Harry," said Hermione despairingly, "it's your general outlook; not your present feeling, and-"  
"Yes, Hermione, I know that now," said Harry desperatly, "and really, unless I ask, I know all this already!"

* * *

"... **So where shall I put you?"** Dumbledore didn't miss a beat as he skipped a bit, and read on. " **better be GRYFFINDOR!"** Dumbledore winked at Harry, then continued. Harry was grateful for the skip; although he worried that people might know there had been a longer wait, but he was sure everyone understood the need for privacy; the Hat, as the song said, "there's nothing in your head The Sorting Hat can't see", but Malfoy looked plenty diappointed.  
"Look at Malfoy" Harry nudged Ron and Hermione, "he looks diappointed he doesn't get to hear what the Hat said."

* * *

At Harry's reaction to being touched by a ghost, the ghosts looked surprised, then ghostily ashamed, as they'd been patting people on the arm and shaking hands and things for hundreds of years; they'd never known it felt that horrible.

* * *

"Longbottom's 'Great-Uncle Algie' should be taken for a hearing, nobody's supposed to hang people out a window to get magic out of them!" Fudge said angrily. "Especially when something as dangerous as falling is highly risked! It's lucky Mr. Longbottom's still with us!"  
Neville shuddered and agreed. The reporter was hurriedly taking down notes, and Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was writing down some facts about Neville's great uncle Algie. She'd looked up and smiled when "Bones, Susan!" had come up in the reading of the Sorting, but otherwise had kept on writing out more facts for the files.

* * *

Snape looked halfway enraged at Harry's first impression of him, but before he could say anything, Harry said, "That's one first impression I'm _not_ sorry for; he still looks the same!"  
Snape opened his mouth, but Dumbledore cut him off.

* * *

Dumbledore shot Snape a look that plainly said 'We'll talk later', when past-Snape looked in Harry's eyes and Harry's scar hurt.  
Harry suddenly whispered to Ron and Hermione, "Ron! Hermione! I bet Snape was using Legilimency on me! I doubt it was Voldemort in Quirrell's turban, he'd been facing me the whole time, but it only happened when Snape looked at me!"  
Ron looked surprised, then sickened. "What if he's been using it on all the students all the time!"  
Harry thought for a moment, then said "if so, he's more of a biased teacher than I thought. He'd be able to see that I am _not_ an attention-seeking, arrogant toerag like he says I am. He'd be able to-he'd be able to see who was a Death Eater or not! He'd be able-oh darn! Fred! George! Snape's a Legilimens! That's why you never get away with anything!"  
The twins looked at each other, then facepalmed. They muttered through their hands, "Fred, we need to learn Occlumency,"  
Harry brightened. "You can take my lessons for me!" he said. They looked at him. "Dumbledore made me take Occlumency lessons with Snape to get rid of the visions I keep having-like the one about your dad-but they're not working."  
The twins shook their heads at lessons with Snape. "No, he'd see what we were up to in an instant, even if we took Polyjuice."  
"darn," said Harry. "I hate those lessons."  
"Naturally," they said in unison.

* * *

"Oh I like this part!" Dumbledore said happily, as the school song came up. The teachers looked half-angry at the revelation that " **the teaches smiles seemed to have become rather fixed** ,"

* * *

"I _did_ have the treacle tart, that time," smiled Ron. "it was good,"

* * *

"End of chapter!" said Dumbledore cheerfully, "Oh and Harry, please remember it's _Professor_ Snape."  
"Yes, sir," said Harry. "Although I don't think you can help they amount of time it comes up in the books."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Hello, folks! Yes, I just did three chapters in one day. See you tomorrow! ...Or next week, or whenever it starts raining. The next chapter is called "The Potions Master" and I'm sure Dumbledore will have a lot of reprimands to Snape after it's done! /grins-evilly


	10. Chapter 10: Severus, Stop Being Mean!

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 10

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"You are all dismissed," Dumbledore announced. There was a scramble for the doors to the Great Hall, and soon it was empty.

Harry, however, had run up to the staff table for a word with Dumbledore. He did not, however, want Snape listening in on this conversation. When Snape had looked away for a moment, Harry pulled his Cloak over himself. Waiting until Snape had left the Hall, he ran to Dumbledore and asked for permission to visit him in his office later. Dumbledore nodded his assent and continued talking to McGonagall, acting as if nothing had happened.  
McGonagall, however had noticed Dumbledore's slight lack in concentration for a moment, and his slight nod to an unseen person.  
"Albus, what's going on?" she asked abrupty. "You just nodded at thin air!" she declared.  
"Meet me in my office at eight, Minerva, you should know what is going on-you are in the Order."

* * *

"I have to meet Dumbledore at eight, can one of you open the portrait hole in time for me to see him?" Harry asked, later that evening.  
"Why are you going with the Cloak?" Ron returned curiously.  
Harry thought for a moment. "Good point," he said at last. "I suppose I'm just used to sneaking out and needing the use the Cloak."  
Hermione sniffed disapprovingly. " **Honestly, don't you two** _ **read**_?" She asked, surprising them.  
"Of course we do, Hermione, what-" asked Harry, bewildered, before Hermione interrupted them laughing.  
"Oh that was so funny-the looks on your faces! I was just remembering back in our first year, when I found out about Flamel. I said ' **Honestly, don't you two** _ **read**_?' and it was so funny I just couldn't resist!" By then Harry and Ron had grins on.  
"Hey mate-wonder what happens when Hermione says that in the books?" Ron asked, bemused.  
"Well we have the copies-why not look it up? Give us some laughs, we all need them..." Harry said, and ran up to his dormitory to grab the books.  
On the way down he also grabbed the Cloak- whatever Ron and Hermione said, these were dangerous times and he would be foolish not to carry it around with him.

* * *

"Found it!" exclaimed Hermione.  
Harry and Ron looked at each other discreetly, and said simultaneously- "What?"  
" **Oh** _ **honestly,**_ **don't you two** _ **read**_ **?** " Hermione looked up at them, before looking at the book again in bewilderment. "How did you do that?" she asked.  
"Oh simple," said Harry grinning.  
"All we had to do was say 'what?' when you found somthing," interjected Ron.  
"And you'd snap back at us with that line," Harry said, winking at Ron.  
"Because you are so predictable!" Ron finished. Hermione stared at them in openmouth astonishment. Finally she called for Fred and George.  
"Fred! George! Get over here! Did you hear those two?" asked Hermione.  
"Well yes-"  
"You were being _slightly_ loud-"  
"Oh all right then-that just confirms it!" she whirled on Harry and Ron, who both looked confused. "You have had a bad influence on those two!" she fairly shrieked, pointing at them.  
"You have them interrupting and finishing for each other, _just like you two!_ I won't stand for it! I cannot bear having another set of-" she burst out laughing "I cannot believe I got that far," she wheezed "with a straight face! Oh!" she kept on laughing, drawing strange looks from the other students studying. "The looks on your faces! It's pricelesss!"  
"Y'know Fred," began George,  
"I think that our Hermione here-" Fred interrupted,  
"Falls for the simplest of jokes sometimes!" George finished. "That one wasn't even orchestrated by us! You two," they said, swooping down on a bewildered Harry and Ron, "need a lesson on pranking! You two obviously planned that beforehand-"  
"I don't agree." stated Hermione. "You've corrupted them enough alread-" but then they all collapsed laughing, none of them could keep their straight faces any longer.  
"Oh, that was _priceless_!" gasped Fred.  
"I mean Fred and I have marvelous straight faces-"  
"But they utterly collapse-"  
"When someone else sets them off!" George agreed.  
"I have to go," Harry whispered to Hermione. "gotta meet Dumbledore, don't want to be late-" Hermione waved him off, and Harry dashed out of the portrait hole.

* * *

Knock knock. "Come in, Harry." Dumbledore called. Harry opened the door and walked in, but was surprised that Professor McGonagall was there. He decided it wasn't important if she knew; it wasn't as if she could see him in his Cloak just for knowing about it.  
"Good evening, Professor McGonagall." Harry concealed his surprise McGonagall acknowledged his greeting, and Harry spoke to Dumbledore.  
"Professor, while reading the books, do you think it would be a good idea to skip over any sections with the Invisibility Cloak in it? I doubt it would be wise to broadcast to the school-and Voldemort, if his followers are receiveing the _Daily Prophet_ -that I have an Invisibility Cloak. They may find out eventually-in fact, it is probably inevitable-but it woudl be best to conceal it as long as possible, don't you think?" Harry started. McGonagall looked surprised, both that Harry had such a Cloak and that Dumbledore knew.  
Dumbledore reminded, "I do not think we need to worry about that any time soon, Harry. There are a good deal more chapters until Christmas, I am sure."  
"Sir, I have been looking ahead. From flying practice, it skips to Halloween and then to Christmas. There are several pages concerning the Cloak, and it even copies down the note you sent along with it," Harry responded. "It will happen within a matter of a few chapters; we will come across it at least by next week, if we keep on the schedule set, especially if we read any tomorrow."  
McGonagall easily concealed her surprise; she was not a stupid witch. She knew the implications that 'your note' meant; also she knew Dumbledore fairly well, and would not have been at all surprised to learn that he had, in fact, sent the Cloak to Harry.  
It dawned on her that Harry had been the one in the library that night, and said so.  
Harry gave a nervous laugh. "And three nights in a row after," he admitted. McGonagall stared in shock, then looked at Dumbledore.  
"It's true," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling.  
McGonagall threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know what you were thinking, Albus, giving-"  
"It used to be his father's, Minerva-" Dumbledore calmly stated, only to be interrupted by McGonagall.  
"So that's how they did it all..." McGonagall moaned, sinking down on a chair.  
Harry looked mock outraged. "That was my father's secret, and since he is gone, it would be Sirius's, or Professor Lupin's..." he started laughing, then suddenly stopped and moaned.  
"What is it, Mr. Potter?"  
McGonagall asked anxiously. Harry put his head in his hands and said, "No I'm not okay!" McGonagall looked at Dumbledore. "No! I spent all this time thinking up a way to be outraged at Dumbledore for something, see, and the Weasley twins helped, only to be foiled because I have such a _horrible_ straight face!" He looked up grinning and after a moment cracked up laughing at the looks on the professors faces.  
"Mr. Potter, that is not funny," McGonagall started to say, but then Dumbledore interrupted her.  
"I think the aforementioned twins are rubbing off on you Harry." he said. "I can only hope that you do not annoy Professor Snape; he has enough to deal with," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "It was quite funny, Minerva, and it should show that he is a Gryffindor through and through, pulling a prank like that in full view, and on, two professors, one of which is his Head of House and Deputy Headmistress, and the other who is the Headmaster."  
McGonagall stopped to think about that. "Ten points for acting like a Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."  
Then she smiled and said, "I still expect you to be on time to my classes, just because you got away with a prank does not mean you can skip or be late to classes..."  
"Oh no Professor, being late or skipping is a lot worse than laughing in front of a professor...But Professor Dumbledore, can you make sure to skip the pages on which the Cloak s mentioned?"  
"Of course Harry. Now hurry off to bed before curfew rolls around," Dumbledore asnwered. Harry hurried out of the room.

* * *

The next day, Dumbledore said that they would read one chapter today, but no more, as he expected people to catch up on their homework, and they were not doing it in favor of reading. They had decided to keep the reading to Heads of House and Dumbledore. McGonagall would be reading this chapter, and from the title, she was going to like it.  
"Ahem: The Potions Master," she read.

* * *

"I would _prefer_ ," said Nearly-Headless Nick, a few sentences in, "If you would call me Sir Nicholas De Mimsy Porpington," the Gryffindor's just kept doing what they were doing, while a few members of other Houses looked at him exasperatedly.

* * *

"Peeves, please don't do that any more," Dumbledore said, while the book described Peeves' atrocities, included sneaking up behind people, snatching their noses and screeching **"GOT YOUR CONK!"**.  
"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, hanging upside down. Dumbledore gave an inaudible sigh. Would Peeves _ever_ stop calling him _Professorhead_?

* * *

"Hey, just because everyone else thinks these books are as true as the sun, doesn't mean I do." grunted Filch. "I still think they were doing it on purpose, Headmaster," he said plaintively, when **Harry and Ron managed toget on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose** came out of the book.  
"Mr. Filch," Dumbledore started, "that is a matter long gone, we said no punishments for past actions."  
A few sentences later-"Mrs. Norris is not a _creature_ ," growled Filch. "and I better not catch any of you kickin' her, I'll have you strung up by your thumbs-"  
"Mr Filch, do I need to tell you to leave? We have already spoken of this and will not discuss it again here," Dumbledore said sharply.

* * *

" **A dumpy little witch**!" exclaimed Professor Sprout, when the book mentioned Herbology classes.  
"I have already asked people not to trust my first impressions unless I say otherwise," siad Harry demurely.

* * *

When McGonagall got to her little speech she gave to her first year Transfiguration class, she simply closed her eyes while she said it- she knew it by heart now.

* * *

"People like Ron?" Ron asked. "You're comparing all the purebloods in the Wizarding World to me? I'm flattered," he then gave a mock bow.  
"I didn't know anything about people like _Malfoy_ ," Harry said with venom in the name. "I would never compare you to _him_ , and I think you are quite wrong to think it is flattering,"  
"Oh well...I wasn't thinking of Malfoy." Ron stuttered.  
"Neither was I," Harry winked. Ron returned it. Hermione rolled her eyes and said something that sounded suspiciously like " _Boys_ ,"

* * *

Dumbledore looked incredulous when the book said **"Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end ofthe first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong."** Snape was inscrutable, as always. But inside, he wondered...  
Snape made a jerk like he wanted to facepalm when the book went on to say " **Snape didn't dislike Harry - he hated him.** " Harry winked at the Potions master, who looked bored with the proceedings. In speaking of Snape's eyes, the book said **They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.** Snape half-snorted. Harry knew why they looked that way; he seemed to be using Occlumency all the time.

* * *

"Severus, you really call them dunderheads before their first lesson?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.  
"They're all normally dunderheads," Snape said in a bored tone. "There are the some few that pass their OWLs with such a grade to continue on to their NEWTs-but the rest should-and rightly so-be called dunderheads-"  
"Severus. You are undermining the confidence of the students with that, and-" Dumbledore seemed to pull himself together. "We will talk later." Dumbledore had a suspicion that he would be speaking of a lot more than that to Severus today...

* * *

 **"Powdered root of what to an infusion of what?"** McGonagall read, and Snape automatically answered, " **Powdered root of** _ **asphodel**_ **to an infustion of** _ **wormwood**_ **,** Potter." he snapped.

* * *

 _ **Darn! Slughorn has not come yet, but here is the reaction that would happen if he had;**_

 _Harry started; he had just come up with an amazing idea to taunt Malfoy with. "Ron," he said. "in the book, Snape's congratulating Malfoy on stewing his_ _horned slugs_ _. Rearrange the words_ _horn slug_ _and what do you get? Slughorn! Malfoy stewed Slughorn-his own Head of House-and Snape congratulated him on it! I'm going to make sure Malfoy hears of this-and Snape."_  
 _Ron looked at Harry as if he'd gone mad for a moment, then roared with laughter. McGonagall paused in reading._  
 _"What is the matter, Mr. Weasley?" she asked._  
 _Ron answered, "Because Malfoy stewed Horned Slugs-he stewed Slughorn! His own Head of House and Snape congrantulated him on it! Haha!"_  
 _Slughorn looked at Snape, who shrugged and said, "Horned slugs usually need brewing in Potions, it is just more of Weasley's horrible...sense of...humor." At that, Slughorn didn't look nearly at miffed as he had a moment ago._  
 _Harry slapped Ron. "You were supposed to wait and sneak it in somehwere the next time we insulted him-the Hogwarts Rumor Mill would have made that much more interesting than you could have done at the beginning of the idea," Harry scolded._  
 _"Well...it's not as if we can go back in time...can we?" Ron seemed nervous._  
 _"Not enough to make a difference wihtout maybe scaring the school shitless to see another me-and not nearly worth it enough, that's illegal." Harry told him. "There's no we would do it, even with a Time-Turner." Ron came to the same concludsions, then looked around for the source of the giggling. The twins were falling off their seats with laughter._  
 _"That's a better prank than we could have done, Harry, Ron!" they said with identical grins firmly in place. "Although Harry, shouting it to the Great Hall right now is_ _ **perfect-**_ _-there are people who did not come down, and usually even people who saw it will believe something else. Remember Ron in the second Task?" they asked, alluding to the Triwizard Tournament that Harry had taken (unwilling) part in last year._  
 _"Of course," Harry said grumpily._  
 _Ron looked pleased at their praising, which soon turned to a flush as the twins spoke of the Tournament._

That was fun!

* * *

"Severus..." Dumbledore moaned as the book mention Harry losing a point for Gryffindor for not helping Neville. He was beginning to think that Snape was not fit for teacher-he had only taken him on anyway so he could meet with

* * *

Snape often and have him as his spy; but surely something else could be done than teaching, Dumbledore reasoned to himself.

Several people snorted in surprise at Harry being worried about losing two points in his first week-expecially when "Hey Potter! You weren't nearly so worried when you lost a hundred and fifty in one go did you?" asked Seamus  
Ron rounded on Seamus "You don't know Harry. He was miserable, not less because nobody liked him any more. It wasn't all his fault, anway-he only had fifty points of the blame. Hermione was out that night too, she has an equal part of the blame," He glanced at Neville, who had also been out that night.  
Neville had gotten a lot more self-confident over the last couple months, and he added "I was also out of bed, and for more stupid reasons than them." he said in a slightly quavering voice. "Harry shouldn't get all the blame."  
"Also," Harry reminded them, "we also got Malfoy to lose fifty-no, seventy, he'd lost more earlier for being out of bed _and_ a detention-so we still lost a lot, and lost our lead, but Malfoy lost half as much as he did, and he therefore has more blame-he is only one person, not three." he said smugly.

* * *

Hagrid looked over at Harry and Ron reproachfully when the book mentioned his oh so hard rock cakes.  
"Yeh coulda told me!" he exclaimed. "I coulda fixed it..."  
"We didn't know at that time, Hagrid! Next time I'll help you find a good recipe..." Harry called.

"Chapter is over," McGonagall said, snapping the book shut and handing it to Dumbleodore.

The students ran out of the Great Hall.  
"Minerva, Severus, meet me in my office, I have a few things to discuss." Dumbledore said tiredly.

* * *

"Severus, I can't have you treating the students so dreadfully. Especially as it everyone seems to think you favor the Slytherins and the opposite for Gryffindors." Dumbledore started. McGonagall was nodding along. Potions was the class most students lost the most points in.  
"Dumbledore, we both know the reason you called me to teach. I don't _enjoy_ teaching a bunch of dunderheads all day, if there was another position I could take I wouldn't complain. However, I do recall you saying that Potions masters are even harder to find than Defense teachers." Snape said.  
"I'm afraid I don't understand, Albus...If a teacher is unsatisfactory, sack him! No offense, Severus."  
Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other.  
Finally, Snape grunted "Don't tell her all; that is confidential. Tell her the rest though."  
Dumbledore sighed and launched into a story. "One night, a few weeks after the prophecy was made about Harry Potter, Severus came to me saying he no longer wanted to serve Voldemort." he ignored Snape and McGonagall's shudders at the name. "He told me several things-confidential things-that thoroughly convinced me. From that point until Voldemort fell, he was an inside source of information. In Voldemort's eyes, he was spying on me. In reality, he has been spying on Voldemort. Giving him the teaching position gives my numerous chances to meet with him without suspicion on either side. There is no other position he could take, don't you think?" Dumbledore looked at McGonagall. She looked gobsmacked.  
"But Severus, you still need to treat your students better. Insulting them and assigning a brew does not teach them very much about Potions, it just tells them how to make that specific brew. I'm not going to tell you how you should teach your class, Severus, or anybody's, just don't insult them, and I understand your dislike of James Potter's son, but he is also Lily's son. I think he behaves more like Lily than James, you just see what you want to see. Minerva, you can go if you like,"

Mcgonagall left the room.

* * *

As Dumbledore and Snape were finishing up that conversation, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Common Room finishing up homework and chatting about the chapter.  
"Hopefully Snape stops being such a git to non-Slytherins!" Ron exclaimed.  
"Hopefully he'll stop being a git to me, just because I'm James Potter's offspring," Harry grumbled. Then he brightened up, and a malicioud look crossed his face. "Guys, last week, remember how sombody found Warrington stuck down a toilet? That happened in the middle of my Occlumency lesson. Now, every lesson, Snape puts some memories in Dumbledore's Pensieve, and so I wanted to know what were his worst memories," he grinned, "so I went in the Pensieve, and it was Snape's Defense OWL. My dad was there, and out in the courtyard he levitated Snape up by his ankle upside down, and...well you can imagine!" Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then started laughing. "Problem is, why would my dad do such a thing? Sure, Snape's a greasy git, but...my mum was there, too, and she didn't like him one bit! I mean...how did they end up together? I want to talk to Sirius..."  
By then, Ron and Hermione looked upset too.  
"Harry, the Floo is being monitored now, you can't!" Hermione protested.  
"Not Umbridge's," Harry responded with a grin.

* * *

Monday afternoon, they had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Last lesson had simply been a test so that Professor Shacklebolt knew their abilities, today was the real lesson.  
"Today we will learn the Shield Charm. The incantation for this is 'Protego', like so:" Professor Shacklebolt waved his wand and said " _Protego!_ " a white shield appeared, then vanished right after. "Now, I want a volunteer to cast spells at me and try to break the shield," he instructed. Harry put his hand up, along with Ron and Hermione, and a couple other students.  
Shacklebolt pointed to Harry. "Cast a Stunner at me, and watch the sheild deflect it."  
" _Stupefy!_ " Harry cried, pointing at Shacklebolt. The jet of red light bounced off and hit Neville.  
"I'm sorry, Neville! _Ennervate!_ " Harry said, and Neville sat up, looking confused.  
Seamus looked at Harry. "I didn't know there was a counterspell!" he said.  
"Of course I do!" Harry said, surprised.  
"You mean you don't even know the counterspell to a Stunner?" demanded the professor.  
"No, sir,"  
"I've never seen an OWL class that didn't know _Ennervate_ ," sighed Shacklebolt. "I'll have to cover that...me and Potter will do a demonstration. After that, we will pair up and one shield, one Stun, then switch.  
"Protego!" Harry yelled, as the professor sent a Stunner his way. The Stunner bounced off and hit a wall.  
"Very good, Mr. Potter!" praised Professor Shacklebolt. "Since you seem to have a nice grip on the spell, can you _Ennervate_ the students who get hit while practicing?"  
"Yes, sir. I need a bit of practice with _Ennervate_ myself,"

So the students paired up and practiced, with Harry reviving them five seconds after being Stunned.  
About ten minutes later, Shacklebolt yelled "Switch!" and the student's who had been shielding started Stunning, and vice versa.  
Finally the bell rang, and the students walked out of class talking excitedly, while Shacklebolt yelled after them to be ready to practice reviving after being Stunned next week, while the ones who hadn't master the Shield charm would practice like today. Even Neville grinned.  
"Much better than Umbridge," sighed Harry. then "Hey! DA meetings are still on! Spread the word!" Much cheering ensued.

* * *

 _Author's Note's:_

So, so sorry about this _long_ delay! Real Life caught up to me, including being sick, but I promise I will post a whole lot! I spoke with my tutor, and he said I could include writing here as part of my school, so I will be posting a lot better chapters! I told her that she would have to read the series before she could grade my work, but she said it would still count as long as she could grade it at some point. I'm also just going to post two chapters a week. I write faster than that, but in case I get a bit behind you won't suffer!

Anyway, how did you like the chapter? I left out bits like Flooing Sirius and Lupin and Dumbledore and Snape's talk because that's descirbed in the book and you can guess what's going on, anyway.


	11. Chapter 11: Occlumency

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 11

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

The rest of the week went by smoothly enough, although Dumbledore called Harry into his office Wednsday night.  
"Harry, Remus tells me that Professor Snape has stopped teaching you Occlumency?" Dumbledore asked.  
"Yes, and good riddance, they were a-" Harry stopped short, not sure if Dumbledore would approve what he had been fixing to say.  
"I think 'catastrophe' is the right word to use in this situation," Dumbledore smiled. "You do need to keep learning Occlumency, however, but as you and Professor Snape have such poor relations, and he has decided to stop teaching you, I think I shall have to carry on the job. How does that sound?"  
"Well I wouldn't mind not having to have any more lessons with Snape, especially Occclumency," Harry shuddered, "but I don't like Occlumency lessons much of itself. I've no doubt that knowing how to do Occlumency is _useful_ , I just don't like learning it."  
"It is Professor Snape, Harry, but from what you've told me, Professor Snape did not do a very good job," Dumbledore observed.  
"Yes, sir, he just said 'focus' and 'clear your mind' and then attacked without giving me any time. Of course, I'm sure you'll be a much better teacher, but I don't like the concept of someone-anyone-attacking my mind, even for training to ward that off," Harry told him, "although I'm not adverse to trying. I do have a question, why is me seeing into Voldemort's mind a bad thing? Like with Mr. Weasley, it's actually useful!" he protested.  
"Harry, I have reason to believe that Voldemort knows of this connection." Dumbledore said gravely. "No, I do not mean that he can see into your mind," he said, as Harry looked likely to interrupt, "but he may show you false images to coax you out of the school. What would your reaction be, for example, if there was nobody from the Order at the school, and you had seen Mr. Weasley being tortured somewhere by Voldemort?"  
"I would have gone after him," Harry responded in surprise. "Maybe Hermione woudl have convinced me to check up on them, but if they weren't home, I would certainly have gone after them if I'd known where they were."  
"If it was a false image, and Voldemort was trying to lure you somewhere, and the person he was baiting you with was not actually at home, but gone for a different reason, Voldemort would have captured you easily, especially if you went alone-"  
"Ron and Hermione would have come with me," Harry said with conviction. "I wouldn't force them in that situation, in no situation would I force them, but I'm sure they would insist on coming anyway. I understand the need for Occlumency though."  
Dumbledore smiled. "We will meet every Thursday, is that alright Harry?"  
"Yes, sir." Harry said. "Is that all?"  
"Yes, Harry. You may go."

* * *

"-so Dumbledore will be teaching me Occlumency from now on," Harry finished. He had told Ron and Hermione about the Occlumency lessons change, and he was quite satisfied with it.

* * *

Thursday came, and Harry went up to Dumbledore's office at eight.

"Come in," Dumbledore responded at Harry's knock.

"Sir," Harry started hesitantly, "Could you explain more about Occlumency? The most Snape ever told me was teh clear my mind and focus, and I really don't understand."  
Dumbledore sighed. "It's _Professor_ Snape, Harry," he gently chastised, then went on to explain. "Occlumency requires that a person seeing into your mind would not see what they want to, in which case clearing your mind of everything would help, but any passing thought or emotion he could catch on and find what he wanted to. The mind is interlinked, Harry, and even thinking about what you had for breakfast that morning as a passing thought could spell disaster. However, if you focus on one image enough, anyone looking into your mind would see that one thing, and not be able to work around it. It does not have to be a specific memory or emotion, like with the Patronus Charm, but you need to be able to focus on it with all your might. It is hard enough to do when you know Legilimency is being used, but with practice it becomes easier, and then we will start working on doing it passively, like in your sleep. Professor Snape's version is the easiest for doing while you are asleep, but focusing on one thing long and hard helps you to stay awake." Dumbledore continued, "and the method we will be using will not provide instantaneous results, but in the meantime, you need a method of communication with the Order."  
"Sirius gave me something over the Christmas break, said I could use it to talk to him if I needed to, maybe I could use that?"  
"That would be wise," Dumbledore said. "Why hadn't you opened it yet?"  
"I didn't want to be the one to possible call him out to yell at Umbridge or something. He'd get Kissed, and I don't want to be responsible for that," Harry said stoutly.  
"Wise choice," Dumbledore remarked, eyes twinkling. "Now, why don't we get on with the lesson? Focus on one thing as hard as you can, and it would be best if you focus on somthing that you remember every detail for. Some find it easier to focus on something within sight, while others focus from memory. Whether it works better or worse depending on which method you use, I do not know."  
"Yes, sir," Harry said, and cast his mind about for something to focus on. He thought of his room at the Burrow, and his dormitory in Gryffindor Tower, but he couldn't call it up in enough detail. Finally he settled on the dark corridor he kept dreaming about, he had certainly been in there enough to know all it's details. "Got it," he said aloud.  
" _Legilimens_ ," Dumbledore muttered with his wand on Harry. Harry felt none of the unease he usually felt while practicing Occlumency, he didn't want Snape's wand on him for any purpose. It also helped that Harry knew what Dumbledore was doing.  
His thoughts had trailed off thinking about that, rather than focusing, so the rush of memories being brought to the front at Dumbledore entering his mind reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing. He fought hard, but as it was virtually impossible to stop someone once they have entered your mind, your best bet was to keep them out first.  
Mercifully, Dumbledore retreated as soon as he got in, rather than staying until Harry cast a spell like Snape did. He gave Harry time to collect himself and focus again, before repeating the process.

* * *

"I like Occlumency much better when Dumbledore teaches it," sighed Harry when he got back to the common room an hour later.  
"How can a change of teacher make it easier?" Hermione asked skeptically.  
"Change of teacher, in this instance, means change of method," Harry explained.  
"Clearing your mind doesn't seem as difficult as another way..." Hermione stated.  
"Have you ever tried clearing your mind of all thought, emotion, memory?" Harry demanded.  
"Sounds impossible to me," Ron commented.  
"That's why I never made any progress with Snape," Harry returned. "With the method Dumbledore teaches me, I focus on one thing as hard as I can, and the more details I can hold in focus the better."  
"That makes sense, if he can't see anything but that when he gets in your mind, he can't see what he want's to see, unless the thing you're focusing on is what he wants to see," Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Whereas when you clear your mind, any passing thought or emotion he can latch onto, and go on to the rest of your mind."  
"It's nearly impossible to stop him-or anyone-once they get in your mind. Keeping him out first is your best bet," Harry agreed, pulling a Charms essay out of his bag.

* * *

 _Author's Note_

So sorry this took so long! I had to think up other ways of doing Occlumency, because really have you ever tried to clear your mind like that!?

Anyway, I promise I'll have a chapter up at least once a week. The extras will be saved for when I am too busy to keep up.

I would love some reviews about my work! I criticize enough people on spelling an grammar, you should so the same! Also if you see any plot holes, point them out and I'll try to find a way to work it in somehow.

I know I don't go into nearly as much descriptive detail and JKR does, but that's mainly because I am horrible at descibing things, and also because JKR did it first.


	12. Chapter 12 a: Flying and Quidditch Intro

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 12

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

"Up early for once, Ron?" Harry yawned."Of course!" Ron protested. "What else, it's not like I went to bed late last night or something!  
"Of course you did," Harry said, rolling his eyes.  
"I'll just go to sleep then, and hold off everyone's reading," Ron teased back, hopping back into bed.  
"I won't call it off just because you're not there," Harry called from the doorway. "See you later!"

As Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into the Great Hall, it seemed as full as any of the feasts in the year, instead of the usual come and go that lasted for a while.

* * *

Once breakfast was done, Dumbledore handed the book off to Professor Flitwick.  
He started, in his squeaky voice, by saying "Chapter nine, The Midnight Duel.

 **Harry had thought he couldn't hate anyone more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy."**

"Hey! Don't compare me to that arrogant little sh-"  
"Mr Malfoy, language!" McGonagall snapped.  
Malfoy rolled his eyes when she turned away.

" **A fool of yourself on a broom in front of Malfoy,** " echoed in the Hall. Laughter ensued. Everyone had seen his flying at the many school Quidditch matches.

A thought struck Harry. "Guys, now that Umbridge's gone, I could maybe get back on the Quidditch team? McGonagall wasn't happy at all, and even the Minister dismissed her. I'm sure they'll let me back on, and Ginny can try for Chaser like she wanted to, next year.  
"That's an idea, mate! We keep getting quashed, no offense, Ginny, but Harry's a better Seeker than you,"  
"None taken, it's not like I want the team to lose, anyway," said Ginny breezily.

* * *

 **Malfoy tells stories of flying on broomsticks and nearly crashing into a Muggle helicopter.**

"Hope Fudge decides to look into that," Harry whispered to Ron.  
"Hope he doesn't look into my own transgession," Ron whispered back.

* * *

 **Ron gets into an argument with Dean about soccer, and pokes the poster of Dean's soccer team, trying to make the players move.**

"You mean they don't!" yelped a Ravenclaw Prefect, looking over at the Gryffindor table, as if hungry for more.  
"Of course they don't! They're just bits of paint, they're not magic and they don't have a personality or anything, so it's not like they'll get bored not moving," Dean supplied wisely.

* * *

"Remembralls don't do any good, anyway," scoffed Malfoy.

* * *

 **Madam Hooch arrived. She had short gray hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

Madam Hooch smirked happily. She would never reveal her secret about that to anyone.

"It's just a side-effect of being magical that's a bit rare," Fred stage whispered.  
Harry laughed.

* * *

Several people shrieked when Neville fell off his broom.

 **"Never thought** _ **you'de**_ **like fat little crybabies, Parvati"**

"Hey!" Neville roared. "who's calling me a crybaby?" he demanded.  
"Well you are," Pansy Parkinson retorted. Neville made to draw his wand, but McGonagall intervened.  
"No magic, Mr Longbottom, and Miss Parkinson, you will apologize to him, and ten points from Slytherin."  
"Sorry, er, Mr Longbottom," Parkinson said with evident sulk and insult in her voice. McGonagall sighed and returned to her seat.

* * *

 **"Give it here, Malfoy,"**

"Thanks, Harry," Neville whispered

"Don't mention it, it's what got me on the team," Harry returned. Neville looked at him in amazement. "You'll see, I won't spoil the surprise,"

* * *

"Up a...up a tree? But he'd get expelled!" Neville spluttered.  
"You mean you don't want him to get expelled?" demanded Ron, wide-eyed.  
"No, but it's an interesting insight to discipline," Hermione muttered.  
"Remember, he was back on the grounds by the time McGonagall got there, and she's not one to punish without proof, and besides, Snape wouldn't expell his favoroite student," Harry muttered darkly.

* * *

 **"-you'll get us all into trouble,"**

"Not if the rest of you stayed on the ground, only those in the air would be punished," Hooch said with the air of explaining something obvious. Hermione blushed and said no more.

* * *

 **"Catch it if you can, then!"**

Several people shrieked, more held their breath waiting to see what happened.

* * *

 **"HARRY POTTER!"**

Professor McGonagall gave an inaudible groan. Now Severus would find out about Potter's appointment...

 **"** _ **Never**_ **\- in all my time at Hogwarts -"**

The Weasley twins looked stunned. "You mean the Marauders never did that?" they demanded of Harry.  
"Of course they did! But it was only two weeks into term, how could McGonagall know of any potential troublemakes? The Marauders-and whoever was before them- taught her that you don't go around giving pranksters ideas! You of all people should know that, how many times have people given you ideas except for the Marauders?"  
"Other people have given us ideas!" Fred said indignantly.  
"Who?" Harry asked with a sly grin.  
"Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, they were-" both twins eyes widened. "Moony..." whispered Fred.  
"And Sirius is a dog Animagus...Padfoot! But who was Wormtail and Prongs?" George asked.  
"Well Prongs had a son, he'd be very pleased to know the Map wound up in his Prongslet's hands," Harry full-blown grinned.  
"Y-you mean you're Prongs son?" both twins mouths were hanging open.  
"And I'm sure you can guess who Wormtail is," Harry said bitterly.  
"Ah, right..." the twins turned away guiltily for a moment then,- "Merlin's socks! Professor Lupin- we had a Marauder _in the castle_ for a whole _year_ and we never knew it!"  
"Yes-now back to the story?" Harry responded pointedly.

* * *

"It's not like you not to hear both sides of a story, Minerva," Flitwick remarked.  
"You'll see," said McGonagall in clipped tones.

* * *

 **Was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?**

"Of course not, Harry!" the twins laughed  
"Well I didn't know then," Harry responded, completely drowning out McGonagall's reminder that beatings were not allowed at Hogwarts.

* * *

 **"Wood- I've found you a Seeker!"**

"Without asking him first?" Snape asked dryly. "What if he didn't want to?"  
"Who are you to suddenly care what he cares about, Severus?" McGonagall snapped. "I would have retracted that if he didn't want to, of course!"

* * *

 **"Are you serious, Professor?"**  
 **"Absolu** -

"Absolutely _not_!" Harry exclaimed. "Sirius Black is serious!"  
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "the Minister!"  
Harry sat back down.

* * *

 **"-I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."**

Through it all, Snape had been scowling heavily at McGonagall, though he did take a moment to perform a nasty smile when that match was mentioned.

* * *

 **"...only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret,"**

"But the other Seekers would seek out the secret!" Fred whispered loudly.  
"They all seemed to know anyway, and I've learned-no secrets at Hogwarts, theres four Seekers at least, and whoever is the backup team Seeker," Harry laughed.

* * *

When the book mentioned secret passageways, Harry panicked. "Guys!" he said, including Fred and George. "The map! The Marauder's Map! We don't want _anyone_ \- teachers included- to know about the Map! and I can't request all the spots of chapters with it to be read out loud! _And_ there's a reporter here! _All_ our secrets...our special secrets...including the- the Map," he didn't want the twins to know about the Cloak.  
"Oh Merlin..." Ron breathed.  
"This is like that time when Snape threatened me with Veritaserum," Harry moaned. "The ton of people I'm gonna get in trouble... that alright with you twins? I know Ron and Hermione, but I need to check with Hagrid, oh dear me..."  
"Don't shake yourself up, mate, it's not your fault Umbridge is a cow." Ron soothed.  
"And I've got a reporter here," Harry continued panicking.  
"Why don't you just _edit_ the books, Harry?" Hermione said distractedly.  
"What?"  
"You know, copy it all down. Edit out the mistakes. Then use a Switching Spell to switch the words from what you copied down onto the books and all, and burn the parchment so no one is the wiser. You could edit out whatever you wanted, and maybe you could tell Dumbledore..."  
"What would I do without you, Hermione?"  
"You'd be dead, remember Sprout's Devil's Snare at the end of first year?"  
"Ah, right, and same with the Basilisk _and_ without your," his voice lowered, " _Time Turner_ and you taught me all those spells before the Third Task last year... I wonder what it'll be this year?"  
"Who knows," Hermione responded, listening to the book again.  
In Harry's silent freak out, Flitwick had just kept reading.

 **"Well, a second's there to take over when you die,"**

"No Ron, it's to make sure the other guy and his second don't break the rules," George chided.

* * *

 **"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?"**

"No, Ron. You got interrupted three times and you haven't learned that already?" Gearge began with mock seriousness, but Ron hit him on the arm and told him to shut up.

* * *

 **(Neville hadn't come back from the hospital wing)**

"Really? Madam Pomfrey can mend anything in minutes," muttered Susan Bones at the Hufflepuff table. Her freind Hannah answered her.  
"Remember, she likes keeping people for hours making sure nothing's wrong."

* * *

Hermione was upset, of course, at reliving all the nastiness from the first couple months at Hogwarts, but she knew it got better.

* * *

 **"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner,"**

"That's detestable!" spat Dean Thomas, wide-eyed. "Who would-"  
"Malfoy would, that's who," answered Seamus. "He better not pull that trick on us..."  
"Oh he would, and the way he did it makes sure we can't tell a teacher, or we get in trouble ourselves. A right Slytherin bastard." Harry spat.

* * *

 **The clanging and banging was enough to wake the whole castle.**

"Almost nothing will wake the whole castle, at least from the inside, at night," Fred smirked.  
"Once we tried-" George muttered ruefully,  
"We only woke up Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and one dormitory," Fred finished. "I don't think anyone's done that much before."

* * *

 **-taking a swipe at Peeves**

 _"That was a big mistake,"_ Fred and George said in unison, just as the book did. "Oh no," Fred said. Now we're playing with the book..."  
"Shut up, I want to listen," Harry said.

* * *

 **...into a door. It was locked.**

Dumbledore looked thoughtful.

 **Alohomora!**

"Miss Granger, that was impressive magic for your level, a second year spell. All the more impressive that you did it with another's wand," McGonagall looked surprised at her young Gryffindor.  
"I know that now, Professor," Hermione answered politely.

* * *

 **And now they knew why it was forbidden.**

All the students leaned forward.

And promptly screamed. Several seventh years looked at Dumbledore, furious.  
"Professor Dumbledore! What were you thinking keeping such a large monster at Hogwarts? Telling students it's forbidden just makes them WANT to go there, and it was capable of being unlocked by _Alohomora_ , at least put up a locking charm that counters a second-year spell!" yelled the Head Boy.  
Then the Head Girl added in her two Knuts, saying, "If you were trying to lure them in there, I'll be reporting to my parents."

* * *

 **"-or worse, expelled..."**

The students of the Great Hall looked at Hermione, "really?" a few people muttered faintly. "She needs to sort out her priorites," was another line.

* * *

 **"It's either really valuable or really dangerous,** "

" _Or both_ ," Hermione chided, just as the book did.  
"Well it turned out to be, didn't it?"

* * *

 **DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE**  
 **It's your Nimbus 2000 but I don't want anyone else knowing you've got one or they'll all want one.**

"Lost cause, really!" George cried. "What else would be but a broomstick? Send it up to his dorm after dinner, that's better."  
McGonagall sighed. "It's in the past, Mr Weasley."

* * *

 **"I've never even** _ **touched**_ **one,"**

"Bet you have now, sucking up to Potter," Malfoy smirked.

"I will not have you insulting another student like that, Mr Malfoy," McGonagall said. "Do it any more and you will get a detention."

* * *

 **"...have to save up twig by twig,"**

Just as McGonagall was about to call Malfoy on that, Flitwick read on hurriedly.

 **Professor Flitwick appeared at Ron's elbow. "Not arguing, I hope, boys?"**

Flitwick asked "Why do you always refer to my voice as _squeaky_?"  
Harry and Ron looked at each other.  
"Err, I don't know, Professor, I didn't write these," Harry muttered. Flitwick smiled and read on.

* * *

"Boys," came in a muttered cough from Hermione. "You really have to do better-"  
"Hermione, it's in the past. Can't do anything about it now, can we?" Ron asked rhetorically.  
Hermione rolled her eyes.

* * *

 **"What's basketball?"**  
 **"Never mind,"**

"What _is_ basketball?"  
"Not now, please!" Harry groaned. "Ask someone who's not buggered all the time already," he finished under his breath.

* * *

 **Wood handed Harry a Beaters bat.**

Several people groaned at the beating Harry was sure to get.

* * *

 **Harry sent the Bludger zigzagging through the air away from himself.**

"Good one, Harry!" said George.  
"Could be a Beater yourself if we weren't on the team," Fred smirked.  
"Maybe a reserve?" Harry put in dryly. "No thanks, I prefer Seeking to Beating."  
The twins laughed, and turned back to Flitwick.

* * *

 **"-I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

"Darn straight!" Fred nad George said in unison.

* * *

 **"If he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."**

"Hey, our brother _liked_ dragons, more than playing anyway. It was something of a shock but sure, just because Wood wanted to play professionally doesn't mean Charlie wanted to." commented Ron.  
"Right. I might play, but I like the pick-up matches at the Burrow better than heated competition. Funner just playing for fun than a trophy," Harry said absently.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Super sorry this was posted so late in the day, I have a lot of stuff to do. Also sorry that it is only half the chapter; I'll have the next one up within a day or two, I promise. This was a long chapter and I didn't want to deprive you of your chapter today, but don't worry the next one will be up soon.

Even more sorry, I intended to put this up at like 2PM central (USA) but the WiFi and my computer had a falling out, and I couldn't get it uploaded.


	13. Chapter 12 b: Trolls and a Friendship

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 13

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

 **The castle felt more like home then Privet Drive ever had.**

A few people could sympathize with him; several left homes where they felt unloved or abused; those could sympathize with him.  
However, the people with a loving home could hardly picture Harry not wanting to return home, they already couldn't picture the abuse Harry suffered at the hands of the Dursleys.

* * *

 **(which was a relief, since Neville had been trying to catch his eye)**

"Why?" Neville asked.  
"I forget, but I suppose I thought you wanted to talk about Fluffy-that's what Hagrid named the three-headed dog-which I didn't want to talk about in the classroom. We could easily talk later in the common room." Harry said distractedly, watching Flitwick.

* * *

 **"Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick,"**

Everybody had loved learning _Wingardium Leviosa_ on Halloween-it seemed a common practice for Flitwick to learn that spell on Halloween. Harry supposed something happened on Halloween about that spell; he had never asked though. Harry privately thought it was a good idea too-he might be dead if Flitwick had decided on a later date for that to happen.

* * *

 **"-she's a nightmare, honesly,"**

Ron looked guiltily at Hermione. "Did I ever say sorry for that?" he asked.  
"No, but it was understood," Hermione said, with a small smile.

* * *

 **"Troll-in the dungeons-thought you ought to know."**

Fourth year and younger looked alarmed, but the older students quieted them down, reminding no one had died at Hogwarts in over fifty years.

* * *

 **It took several purple firecrackers from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**

"That was back when I still called him Professor, I'm not sure when that changed," Harry commented.

* * *

 **"Excuse me, I'm a Prefect!"**

Ron sniggered. "He always thought Prefect had the same level of authority as a _very_ arrogant teacher."

* * *

 **not Percy, but Snape.**

"What was _Snape_ doing there?" Neville asked.  
"Oh you'll find out," Harry said. "around the last couple chapters."  
"But I'm curious," he wheedled.  
"Sorry Neville, it's a surprise, now please I want to listen to the book."

* * *

 **Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils;**

The older students gasped; that was the sort of smell that came from a troll.

* * *

 **"Confuse it!"**

"How're they so smart, in their first year too?" a fifth year Slytherin muttered to his friend.  
"They heard it was stupid, so they make a decision-they are bloody lucky to have survived," came the response.

Several people screamed in terror when the book showed Harry jumping on the troll from behind.

"Harry?" the twins said in unison. "Did you really?"  
"Yes, what else? I couldn't very well stand there and do nothing," Harry retorted.

* * *

Everyone roared with laughter at Harry's wand up the troll's nose.

* * *

 **"Urgh-troll boogers,"**

"Well worth it," Harry muttered.

* * *

 **Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from his mind.**

The students in the Hall roared with laughter. Win fifty points for defeating a troll? That was all well and good, but sneaking around to do it and nearly dying in the process was not.

* * *

 **Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**

"Well at least I know the real version now," McGonagall said sternly.

* * *

 **It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

The entire Hall roared with laughter that lasted for five minutes.

"Snape-handing out-sweets-Harry-how do you make-such funny-comparisons?" Ron gasped out through laughing.

"The one time he did-" started Professor McGonagall.

"WHAT?" yelled Ron.

"The one time that Professor Snape started handing out sweets, when he was a student, half of Gryffindor House was in the hospital wing,"  
Snape was beyond angry at that being let out, which led him to question why he was here at all? He was curious, he answered grudgingly to himself, but curiosity could be sated other ways-he stood up and stormed from the room, and determined to ask Dumbledore if he could get a copy of these to read by himself.

"Good riddance, and Harry, remind me never to accept sweets from Snape," Ron said.  
Similar comments were being traded between friends.

* * *

 **There are some things that you cannot do without winding up friends, and knocking out a troll in the girls bathroom is one of them.**

"That is the end of the chapter." Flitwick said. "Professor Sprout, do you want to take the next one?"  
"Yes, Filius." came the content response.

"Old Sprout likes reading!" George whispered loudly.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Here's your special chapter! This is a one-time thing, to make up for your not getting a full chapter on Sunday.

I've noticed recently, that Dumbledore calls Snape 'Severus' but Snape doesn't call Dumbledore 'Albus', he calls him 'Dumbledore' still. Odd, don't you think?


	14. Chapter 14: Gryffindor Vs Slytherin

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 14

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

"The next chapter is entitled 'Quidditch'," started Professor Sprout.

 **Harry didn't know which was worse-people telling him he'd be awesome or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.**

Several people erupted into giggles; if you didn't like the attention, neither one would be very likeable.

 **what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do.**

"I have heard other complaints over the years about fanatical Captains scheduling Quidditch practice too often for the players to get any homework done," commented Professor McGonagall.

 **She had also lent him** _ **Quidditch Through the Ages**_ **, which turned out to be a very interesting read.**

"Ron, remember when Snape took that book away, and five points, just because 'books aren't allowed out of the castle' or whatever nonsense?" Harry said, as realization hit him. "I never _did_ get the book back, I had to check another copy out of the library. Maybe we'll find out if that rule is true, and I might get the book back. Unless he just deposited it in the library again, which I think he did."  
"Mate, when did you get so bloody smart?" Ron asked in amazment.  
"When Umbridge forced a book of my detailed life to be read," Harry answered bitterly

 **And she had conjured up a bright blue fire that could be scooped up and carried around in a jam jar.**

"That's second year level magic!" gasped one of the sixth years at their table.  
"Well when has Hermione shown magic of our year? It's always one above at least," retorted Ron.

 **Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping.**

" _Limping_? Why would _Snape_ be limping?" and other such queries were heard throughout the Hall.

 **-they were sure it wouldn't be allowed.**

"Of course it is allowed, because you are allowed to practice magic," McGonagall said.

 **He hadn't seen the fire, but seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.**

"That Snape," sighed Neville. "I'm glad he left the Hall."

 **"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," Snape said.**

" _He's just made that rule up_!" Seamus cried.  
"Yes of course, Mr Finnegan. I shall speak to Professor Snape later," McGonagall said absently.

 **But by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

McGonagall sighed, but there was really nothing she could do.

Hermione sighed, and coughed. It sounded like the word " _boys_ " was hidden in it, but Harry wasn't sure.

 **-and a horrible scene met his eyes.**

The older students moaned and sat back; Harry and his friends were well known for trouble, but generally survived, and claimed the House Cup too.

 **"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

Many people gasped. Was Snape trying to get through whatever was hidden under the trapdoor?

 **"I'd bet my broomstick** _ **he**_ **let that troll in, as a diversion!"**

"You owe me your broomstick, Harry," Ron said seriously.  
"I can't, Ron," Harry mock-whined. " _That_ broomstick got smashed up by the Whomping Willow, and my Firebolt wasn't what I bet that time. We can't go back in time either-we don't have a Ti-"  
"Watch it, Harry!" Hermione hissed.  
"Right," Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you didn't _take_ the bet, so leave me be!"

 **Neville was snoring loudly,**

"I didn't know I snored," Neville said.  
"Oh guys-you too, Neville-what happens when we read about," Harry lowered his voice to a whisper, "Neville's _parents_? I know you don't want everybody to know about that Neville-but what can we do?"  
Neville gasped and went white.  
"Remember Harry, we're gonna alter the books a bit so our secrets dont get out-that can be a part of it," Hermione said confidently. "We just need to get hold of the copy McGonagall reads from. Actually, it may be as easy as asking the Room of Requirement for an altered copy, and we can skim through the parts we need, see the alterations..."  
"Your a livesaver Hermione! What would we do without you?"  
"You'd be dead, like I said..." Hermione said. "Now I want to listen to the books."

 **Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which-**

"Lee!" George gasped in mock shock, "Of course you can tell us apart!"  
"Not up in the air," Lee Jordan said reasonably. I can barely tell you apart on the ground right now, I certainly can't when you're a hundred feet up in the air!"  
"Well now, we can't have that! We'll teach you the secret later," Fred said.

 **Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just one of the Weasley's wristwatches.**

"George," said Fred at the same time that George said "Fred."  
"Both," Harry interrupted. "I said 'one of' because I couldn't tell which, and it happened again later, but it might have been different both times, and...it's hard when dealing with _identical_ twins! Just don't wear your wristwatches on the pitch anymore, okay?"  
"Sure! We only do that anyway to confuse the other team's Seeker."  
"Thanks."

 _ **FOUL!**_

The Gryffindors yelled it at the same time as Sprout did-they had all gotten so absorbed in the match it was as if they were watching it all over again. Of course, only the fifth, sixth, and seventh years had seen it (the rest had graduated) but the younger years had seen other matches and knew what the commentary meant.

 **"Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure,**

"Have I ever told you that I love your commentary?" Harry asked.  
"No, but you have now," Lee said.

 **He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.**

The whole Hall gasped as one, and even a few mellow Slytherins felt rebellious-the rest just applauded Snape for nearly killing Potter.

 **Bright blue flames shot from her wand to the hem of Snape's robes.**

"Whoa, Hermione! You set fire to a teacher!" Ron said. He'd never found out what Hermione had done, now he had he was impressed.

Sprout discreetly skipped over Neville crying into Hagrid's jacket, she knew she wouldn't want that sort of fact publicized about her.

 **Hagrid looked furious with himself.**

Hagrid looked guilty.  
"It's none of your fault, Hagrid-you simply slipped up. Everyone does at some point," Dumbledore said.

"Chapter's done, anyway," Sprout announced, snapping the book shut. "Lets have a little break, say thirty minutes?"

The crowd left the Hall, but Harry walked up the Headmaster and asked to rejoin the Quidditch team.  
"Of course, Harry!"  
"Thank you, sir."

 _Author's Note:_

I am going to post once a week, (did I say that already...?) even if I get a chapter done earlier in the week. Next chapter, Quidditch practice and the alteration of the books' content!


	15. Chapter 15: The Mirror

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 15

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

Harry pulled Ron and Hermione out of the Great Hall.  
"I had a peek in my copy of the book there at the end, the next chapter is the Mirror of Erised!"  
Ron gasped. "We need to get those altered copies of the book out as soon as possible!"  
"To the Room!" Hermione whispered. "Hurry, only half an hour break remember!"  
"They won't start without me," Harry said. "Dumbledore would find a reason."

* * *

They ran up to the seventh floor and asked the Room of Requirement for altered copies of _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. The Room provided the single book, and Harry seized it and flipped through to the right chapter. He glanced through, no mention was made of the Cloak, and led the readers to assume that Harry was hiding behind a large object or just missed the eye of Snape or Filch. He flipped farther on, and as he looked at the page with the Mirror on it, the page shimmered and the writing changed, to instead of Harry's heartfelt yearning for his parents, something a little less emotional.  
"Guys, the Room inbued this book," he held it up, "with nearly the power of the Room! If I realize something is about to be read that I don't want to be read, I can think and it'll be changed!" he said excitedly.  
"Harry, it might just be the Room itself making changes. Sure, we have never seen it actively change something like that, especialy while someone's using it, but what if it doesn't work outside the Room?" Hermione asked skeptically.  
"It's the only choice we have, Hermione. We can try outside the Room, but there's only ten minutes left until break is over!" Ron said. "Come on!"

Harry and Hermione followed Ron out the door, Harry with the book in his pocket. As they ran, he pulled out the book and looked again. It still changed.  
"Great," he whispered. "Now to convince Dumbledore to read this one...hopefully it's keyed to me or something... Guys! _Snape's_ reading this time! We only got this just in time...Imagine _him_ finding out about the Cloak!"  
"He may already know," Hermione said reasonably. "With that Legilimency, who knows how much he's seen?"  
"That greasy _git_!" Ron exclaimed.  
"Only all the more reason to learn Occlumency, Harry."  
"I'm learning! I'm just learning from a different teacher and easier method-nothing wrong with that," Harry said as they arrived in the Great Hall, two minutes before break ended. People were still straggling in, but Snape wasn't here yet.

"I will take Professor Snape's place in reading the book if he doesn't show up," Dumbledore said as Harry, Ron and Hermione ran up.  
"Professor, can you read this one instead?" Harry panted. "I went to the Room of Requirement to get an abridged copy of the book, it won't show all those emotional spots that Professor Mcgonagall doesn't like, and it won't show the Cloak or anything. The Room outdid itself this time, if I remember we're comeing on something I won't like, if I think about it'll change. I don't know if it's keyed to me only though, or if it has a distance range or anything, could you try it right now?"  
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Now that _is_ impressive magic, even if it isn't keyed to you, and especially if it is. I'll try it," he accepted the book and looked through it. He frowned at one page, then handed it back to Harry. "It seems like it is keyed to you, I could also see that other people _could_ change it, but only with your permission. "  
Ron stared at the book and Harry. "Harry, that has got to be some of the most impressive magic I've seen..."  
"I'm fairly confident the Room reads your mind to get what it wants, even if you don't have an idea at the front it'll take thoughts and things hovering in the background or somthing. Could you give this book to Snape to read, Professor? I don't want him finding out about the Cloak or any of our other secrets...I'm just glad the Room could help us like this."  
"Yes Harry, I will substitute this book for the other one."  
"Thank you, sir!" Harry exclaimed, and the trio ran off to their seats, just as Snape arrived.  
"And it's _Professor_ Snape, Harry!" Dumbledore called.  
"Yes, sir," Harry grumbled. "Really," Harry said, in a lower voice, "He may trust, respect, like and may be freinds with Snape, but that doesn't mean I am any of those things, wasn't he a Death Eater last time Voldemort rose?"  
"I think so, mate-only they had Dark Marks like what Snape showed in the hospital wing last year, only them," Ron nodded in agreement.

Snape took his usual spot, and took the book. "This chapter," he said in a surly voice, "is called " _The Mirror of Erised_." he threw a look at Dumbledore, that clearly said 'what did you do?'

 **The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewtiching several snowballs to follow Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.**

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all fell over laughing and wheezing. The twins looked at them like they were crazy. Even Dumbledore smiled.  
"You don't think nearly all our pranks are funny, even Hermione's laughing!" George said, amazed.  
"I think it's something we're not privy to, George. Care to share, little brother?" Fred asked in an amused tone.  
"Okay-well, dont tell-don't tell anyone!" Ron said, his shoulders still shaking with laughter.  
"So-so at the end of that year, we go down past Fluffy, because we find out everything and it's _Quirrell_ trying to get the Stone. So we go down there-and we find out that Quirrell is sharing his soul with Voldemort-so Voldemort's face is sticking out the back of Quirrell's head, that's why he wore that rediculous turban-but there, you bewitched snowballs the bounce off the back of Quirrell's turban-so you were effectively bouncing snowballs off of Voldemort's face!" Ron collapsed again, and the twins looked horrified for a moment, then slowly grins broke out on their faces.  
"We pulled one over on Voldemort...we bounced snowballs in his face-Ron, you need to help us with more pranks!"  
"No, we just had inside information," Ron grinned. "Books?"  
George's mouth dropped open. "You're interested in books _now_? Whatever for, you don't like them!"  
"I do when I get to know what Harry's thinking all day," Ron said reasonably. "Oh dear Harry, I wonder what you were thinking back in fourth year, um...before the first Task?"  
"Oh dear, I wonder what _you_ were thinking then-" Harry returned.  
"Let's make a compromise, I get to listen to this if you listen to my stuff later, in the Room."  
"Deal," Harry said, grinning.

* * *

 **Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes, in the dungeons, where their breath misted and they stayed as close as possible to their cauldrons.**

* * *

"Severus, do you not use warming charms?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.  
Snape didn't have an answer. Students grinned at each other, and Harry had the idea that Dumbledore would be overseeing the next few of Snape's classes.  
Suddenly Ron looked horror-struck.  
"The book is your thoughts, right Harry?" he said in a panicky voice. "You just said _Professor_ Snape!" he couldn't do it any longer, and burst out laughing.  
"That's the best poker face I've seen you do, Ron," said George in surprise.  
"Maybe it's cuz it was partially true?" Ron offered.

* * *

 **I hate them both, Malfoy** _ **and**_ **Snape,"**

Dumbledore looked like he wished he were surprised.

 **"Yeh** _ **what**_ **?"**

* * *

At the conversation that followed, about Harry, Ron, and Hermione trying to find Nicolas Flamel in the library, Hagrid was looking mournfully at the three of them, shaking his head, and surprising himself by wishing he hadn't made them do all that work-they found him anyway, if the stories circulated at the end of the year were any indication.

* * *

 **I'm sayin' nothin',"**

"Good for you, Hagrid," Dumbledore smiled, mostly to reassure him he'd done nothing wrong.

Dumbledore smiled fondly and shook his head at the list of titles theyd looking for Flamel, but of course they knew he wouldn't be in any of those.

* * *

 **He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't in the Restricted Section.**

"So that's who that was," Dumbledore smiled to himself, thinking of Christmas night, and of course having suspected that Harry had opened the screeching book. No proof equals no punishment though-not that he would have been getting any.

* * *

 _ **"Wierd!**_ **What a shape! This is** _ **money**_ **?"**

"What, Muggle money?" asked a few curious people. Harry pulled out a handful of coins and passed them around. (He had exchanged it at Gringott's so that if he had to run away from the Dursleys again he would have some money.)

* * *

 **"And mine's** _ **always**_ **maroon,"**

"I don't think mum knows that you don't like maroon, Ron-she'll find out if she reads the _Prophet_ tomorrow," remarked Fred.

At this point, the page shimmered and altered-the Cloak and any mention of it was now gone, yet only Harry and his friends would have seen it happening.

The Weasleys look at each other with varying emotions when Percy was mentioned. The twins liked to keep up a flippant demeanor and acted happy about everything, and they still tried, but if you looked you could tell they missed Percy. They tried to say how he was an 'arrogant git' and were glad he was out of the house now, but they actually didn't try very hard at all.

* * *

 **Harry watched Hagrid-**

The page shifted, because, as Harry thought, it might be funny to tell the school how Hagrid had kissed McGonagall on the cheek, but it would be outrageously embarrassing to both of them, and Harry thought he didn't want Hagrid to suffer that.

 _ **-knock over his cup, and he hastily apologized and scrubbed it up.**_

McGonagall and Hagrid looked around suspiciously. Harry flinched, remembering _those_ two would remember-but he also saw the hidden relief on their faces after a moment.*

Harry shivered, and hoped that the book's power was enough to keep the Cloak hidden. He wanted the book to make it seem as if he had exceptional hiding skills. He also knew that he wouldn't be able to keep it _or_ the Map hidden for too long-people were bound to think something was off soon. He'd worry about it later, however.

* * *

 _ **That night, Harry could not sleep. He decided that he would explore the castle, everyone was asleep, after all. He waited a while, because he knew the Prefects would be out patrolling the corridors for a few hours. He decided to go to the library and look for Nicolas Flamel some more-in the Restricted Section.**_

Madam Pince's hawk-like face turned in Harry's direction, until Dumbledore quietly reminded her that past transgressions were not to be punished.

* * *

 _ **he picked out a book from the bottom row, and let it fall open in his lap. It screamed in his face. Harry quickly put the book back, but the scream lingered in his ears. He head a door open, and scrambled around a shelf towards the door. He saw Filch standing by another row, facing away. He quietly tiptoed towards the door and slipped out, breathing a sigh of relief, before he heard Filch making his way back to the door. In terror, he ran back along the corridor. He dashed away, ripping through a passageway hidden behind a tapestry, before coming to a halt in an unknown place. He heard Filch talking to Snape, though, at the end of the passage, and squeezed through a door that was slightly ajar. He waited, breathing heavily, until the footsteps passed. When he turned around, he saw a mirror. He walked up to look, curious. What he saw made him almost scream. There were other people in the room. He spun around, but no one was there. He looked in the mirror again. He reached behind himself to see if he could feel them, but no one was there. The pair at the front, and everyone else, existed only in the mirror. There was a strange enscription on the mirror-**_ **Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.**

"What's it say?" asked Fred curiously.  
"It's a mirror, look at it backwards," Hermione said. she pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled it down, before switching and writing it backwards.  
"Still doesn't make any sense," George observed.  
"Well the mirror does something weird," Hermione remarked, before stringing all the words together. "Look, the spacing was wrong. It says _I show not your face but your hearts desire_."  
"That's odd, Fred. How's Harry's hears desire _people_?"  
"Not the people," Harry said quietly. "It's people. It's who the people _are_ that makes any difference."

* * *

 _ **Harry saw a man with black hair, that stuck up at the back-just like his. He saw a woman with green eyes-just like his. He realized these were his parents! He saw other people with similar characteristics to his, and realized this was his family. He was seeing his family, for the first time in his memory. "Mum? Dad?" he whispered, and his parents nodded, smiling. They did not speak. Harry sat on the floor leaning against the mirror, staring at his parents for a long time. Eventually a distant bell rang, and he startled up, whispered, "I have to go, but I'll be back. I promise I'll be back," and ran back to Gryffindor Tower.**_

Several people had tears in their eyes at this recounting, especially those who had lost parents at a young age.

Dumbledore looked concerned as the book described Harry's wanting only to see his parents, and that nothing else mattered. He was glad he'd told Harry what the mirror did and to stay away from it.

* * *

 **But Harry had only one thought in his head, and that was to get back to the mirror-and Ron wasn't going to stop him.**

Ron looked insulted.  
"Sorry, Ron, I wasn't thinking clearly. Wait till you see what happens that night, the mirror might have been messing with my head slightly."

Ron nodded slightly when Dumbledore explained, in the book, about the properties of the Mirror.

* * *

 **"...another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair."**

"We'll get you some socks next year, Professor!" yelled Fred.  
"Well now you've spoilt the surprise, Fred-they're supposed to be a suprise?" George demanded of Fred.  
"Thank you, Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley. I would love some new socks. Of course, I could buy my own, but it's more special when someone you know gives them to you on Christmas,"

Snape put the book down and walked out.  
"I believe the chapter is over," Dumbledore said unnecessarily. "You may go.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

* Hagrid and Mcgonagall are NOT together, and never will be. I just can't imagine that. It's just a passing moment of embarrassment, _please_ don't read too far into it-I promise you, it'll never come up again. Except maybe if someone like Fred or George or someone is making pranks out of it.

Please review! I live for my reviews, and I don't really feel like writing sometimes if it seems like nobody's interested in my writing, because what's the point if people don't read it?

I had to finish the last half of this today, which is why it's so late. Sorry about that.


	16. Chapter 16: Nicolas Flamel and Quidditch

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 16

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: All recognizeable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all the credit goes to her. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to JK Rowling.**

* * *

After an hour's break, in which everyone had done a bit of homework, the Great Hall filled again.

McGonagall took the book and flipped to the right chapter. "Nicolas Flamel is the name of this chapter," she announced.

* * *

 **Which was all very well, but he had anothe** **r reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch...**

Snape scowled at Harry, and Dumbledore shook his head. Slowly, even the Slytherins were starting to at least distrust Snape.

* * *

 **He must have had to bunny hop all the way up Gryffindor Tower.**

Several people winced, and even more at the news it had happened near the library, all while throwing mean looks at Malfoy.

* * *

 **You're worth twelve of Malfoy. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin.**

"Good one, Harry!" cheered Seamus Finnegan.

Everyone cheered when Harry found Flamel, and held their breath as Hermione found a book that explained the Sorcerer's Stone.

* * *

 **-Yet sometimes he had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.**

"He can!" shouted Harry. The whole Hall gasped as one. "He does it by looking in your eyes," Harry said confidently. Snape's face was inscrutable as always, but Dumbledore looked stunned. He threw a worried glance at Snape, and both silently agreed that they would talk-later.

Most of the students in the Hall smiled at Dumbledore's appearance at the match. Dumbledore gave an apologetic smile to Snape, who just looked menacing as usual.

The Hall cheered at Neville and Ron taking on Malfoy and his cronies. There were still several derogatory comments from the older Slytherins, though.

* * *

 **A hooded figure came swiftly out of the castle.**

Snape, who had gotten used to not displaying his emotions, had created another 'head' inside of his own, that he could made display whatever he wanted. In this instance, he put his head in his hands, all while everybody else just saw him sitting there with no response. He knew Potter-Potter would follow him, and overhear...

Everyone held their breath when Harry overheard Snape's conversation with Quirrel, and when Ron said that the Stone would be gone by Tuesday, they all agreed with him.

"That is the end of the chapter," McGonagall said.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

Hi! I know this is a rather short chapter, but don't worry. My worry is how to judge how many weeks until Harry is supposed to run after Sirius? Opening the two-way communication mirror was a big start, Sirius _would_ have that on him at all times. Rather than relying on Umbridge's office fire and Kreacher's lies.


	17. Chapter 17: Saving Hagrid From Norbert

THE TRUTH REVEALED

CHAPTER 17

* * *

 **DSICLAIMER: All recognizable portions, or the parts in bold, are Joanne K. Rowling's work, all teh credit goes to her. If there is an unfamiliar part in bold, I tried to change it abit so I wouldn't be violating copyrights, but I'm horrible at that just so. I am not making any money or profit off of this work except as my pleasure in doing it, and all characters belong to J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Flitwick was reading this time, but he said that they would stop after this chapter, and they might read one tomorrow, but save the rest for the next week. "Norbert..." he started, and Harry's face went deathly pale. He quickly, desperatly told the book to place a small confundus charm on Flitwick, while whispering in a panicked tone to Ron and Hermione. "Norbert!" he hissed. "Most of that chapter is about Norbert, Norbert, _Norbert!_ What are we going to do?" he put his head in his hands in despair. Then, he had an idea. He quickly changed the page to say "tell Dumbledore, without anyone else hearing, that we should have a break before reading the chapter." Flitwick, still under the confundus, mumbled the message to Dumbledore. Dumbledore glanced at the book, and it's message, to Harry, raising an eyebrow. Harry nodded slightly.  
The rest of the Hall was beginning to wonder about the prolonged silence from Flitwick. Dumbledore seamlessly took over. "It seems," he announced, eyes twinkling merrily,"that we forgot to give you a break. I think we would do well to have a half hour's break between chapters, which some would like to utilize in studying and other pursiuts. You have half an hour, but attendance still is _not_ mandatory, and you don't have to be back here exactly on time, you'll just miss the beginning." The students filtered out of the Hall.  
From the first mention of Norbert, nobody had noticed Hagrid go deathly pale, glancing at the Minister and the press. He shot a glance at Harry, who smiled and winked at him.

* * *

Harry ran as fast as he could to the Headmaster's office.  
"Pro-Professor!" Harry gasped. "Did Hagrid ever tell you about-about Norbert?"  
"No," Dumbledore said.  
"C-can you call him?" Harry asked, calming down a bit. "It's his secret."  
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and with a mumbled " _Expecto Patronum_ ", sent a silvery Phoenix flying through the walls in the direction of Hagrid's hut. Five minutes later, Hagrid entered, out of breath.  
"Yes Professor, I did it, I-" he gasped.  
"Did what, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.  
"We wouldn't inform on you, Hagrid," said Hermione, who had arrived while they were waiting for Hagrid, "that's why we called you. You could tell us you don't want anyone to know, in which case we'll tell Dumbledore what happened and he needs to explain to everyone that the 'Norbert' slip-up was a magical malfunction with the book, or we can tell him it's a secret and don't want him to know."  
"Oh," Hagrid mumbled.  
"I don't mind if you don't tell me, Hagrid, in which case I will tell everyone that it is a magical malfunction. But I would like to think that you didn't find me untrustworthy. I can keep your secrets, and I wouldn't fire you, of course, unless it was something that harmed a student." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling like little stars.  
"O'-o' course I don't, Professor," said Hagrid,still looking down, his eyes darting about. "Yeh see, I, er, I was down at the pub one night, and this fellow turns up.  
Got his hood over his face, I never saw what he looked like, anyway, he says, he says 'lets play some cards' all nice and polite, and then he says 'this is a bit boring, lets stake somethin' on it,' and I says  
'well I haven't got anything to stake' and he says  
'oh well that won't be a problem, you see I don't need anything, but yeh can have this nice dragon egg if yeh beat me at it,' and see, I'd always wanted a dragon, so I said yes.  
An' then he says, he says 'are you sure you can handle a dragon,' an' I said  
'oh sure, after Fluffy, a dragon's easy.  
An' he seemed interested in Fluffy, an' wanted to know how I handled a Cerberus, an' I said, well I said 'oh he's a right beauty, any magical creature is, you just have ter know the trick,' an' then he, well he asked what the trick for Fluffy was, an' I said  
'oh well just play him a bit o' music an he goes off ter sleep.' An' then we played, and I won. Seemed awful easy, too, as if he were going easy on me. These three," he pointed at Harry and his friends, " these three came up to me after the New Year, an' they asked me a bunch o' questions, an' got it all out o' me, including how to get past Fluffy an' whatnot. Anyways, that trouble is that I named him Norbert, and he hatched an' I wanted to keep him. Those three convinced me ter let him go, and they took him up ter the Astronomy Tower an' Charlie's friends came an' took him off ter a dragon reserve where he worked, an' now it's gonna get Charlie and these three in ter trouble with the Ministry, an' it's all my fault!" Hagrid was howling near the end.  
"Don't worry, Hagrid, we can fix it. We just need to alter the book a bit." Harry said soothingly. "No one will get into any trouble. Just don't draw attention to yourself, okay?"  
"Okay, Harry. Yeh can count on me," Hagrid said with a smile. He left for the Great Hall.  
"Dumbledore, we really need to cover the blunder with the name 'Norbert'," Harry said. "We can either say it was a magical malfunction, or we can work it into the chapter title somehow. I think we could easily cut out the bits necessary, but we need to be desperatly precise. I've got a copy of the book here, I can easily alter what I want it to say, but Flitwick already said part of the title. I thought about useing a different title, either 'Charlie's Letter' or something to do with when we got caught and lost all those points getting Norbert off the Astronomy Tower."  
"So that's what you were doing. McGonagall was part right, it seems," Dumbledore said.  
"Not about Neville," Harry said quickly. "Not about Neville."  
"I think 'Charlie's Letter' sounds about right." Dumbledore said pleasantly. "You'd have to change the contents of the letter, however, as I believe it only spoke of the dragon."  
"Darn!" Harry slapped his forehead. "Malfoy got a copy of the letter, and I doubt it's simply disappeared...ah. _Accio Charlie's letter_!" Harry then got up and opened the door. A few moments later, a piece of battered old parchment flew in. Harry grabbed it, read it over, and tossed it in the fire. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. They all dashed downstairs and entered the Great Hall separatly, Harry changing the book's title as he went.

* * *

"Charlie's Letter," said Flitwick.  
"Wait," said the Minister suspiciously. "Before the break, you said 'Norbert', but I didn't hear that in the title,"  
"Well it's not there now," Flitwick remarked. "the book is magical, and there's never really been a book like this before, so perhaps it's just somthing that happens sometimes?"  
The Minister nodded and sat back, still looking suspicious.

* * *

 **"Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"**

Hagrid paled, and glanced Harry's way worriedly. Harry smiled at Hagrid and winked as if to say 'we've got it covered'.

 **"Lookin' fer you lot," Hagrid said. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"**  
 **"Oh no, we found that out already," Ron said. "And we found out about the Sorc-"**  
 **"** _ **Shhhh**_ **! Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"**  
 **"We did want to ask you some things-"**  
 **"** _ **SHHH**_ **! Come ter see me later, I'm not promisin' ter tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go shoutin' about it in here."**  
 **"Okay, Hagrid."**

Hagrid still looked anxious, and Harry assumed that he would for the rest of the chapter.

The book cut out the conversation about dragons.

"I wonder if Hagrid noticed the book never said anything about him hiding something behind his back?" Ron wondered.  
"Why'd he take the," Harry lowered his voice, " _dragon egg_ into the library? Why not leave it in his hut?"

* * *

Everyone was anxious about Snape having done the guarding of the Stone-well, except Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Weasley twins, who knew about Quirrell.

As the book went rattling on about lessons, Harry glanced worriedly from the book to the Slytherin table, hoping against hope that Malfoy wouldn't realize that the dragon hadn't been mentioned. Malfoy did look slightly suspicious, but luckily no hint of it had been mentioned, and Malfoy probably remembered the first year about as well as they had before reading the book-perhaps less, as Malfoy didn't have nearly the adventures that Harry, Ron and Hermione had.

* * *

"Oh, this looks like the letter Charlie sent," remarked Flitwick.

 **Dear Ron,**  
 **How are you? Thanks for the letter - it sometimes gets a bit lonely out here in Romania, with just the other dragon-handlers to chat with. We're nowhere near any settlements, magical or Muggle, because the dragons need excercise, so we let them fly around on a leash sometimes, and we can't risk the dragons burning any houses down.**  
 **Tell Mum and Dad thanks for visiting, again-it was nice break from the sameness. Actually, it's never dull here, what with dragons and all. But it was nice to see familiar faces other than the other dragon handlers'.**

 **Love,**  
 **Charlie**

"Nice editing, although that doesn't sound like Charlie at all, anyone who knows him-which is nearly nobody here-will think that's anything. Hopefully nobody talks." Ron said worriedly.  
"I'm more concerned about what we could possibly be doing on the Astronomy Tower, McGonagall, Malfoy _and_ Neville all know we were up there, and the rest of the school has had rumors, most likely spread my Malfoy." Harry said distractedly.  
"Oh _boys_ , you don't even know what the most common use of being on the Astronomy Tower at night is?" Hermione giggled.  
"Having our Astronomy class?" Ron offered.  
" _No_ , Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Out of bounds, and more for people you _like_ like..."  
"Hermione..." Harry moaned, faceplanting the table. "Don't you have better things to do with your time? Besides, were were _eleven_. Eleven year olds don't _do_ that."  
"How about we just go with the story McGonagall came up with?" Ron shrugged. "It's the best story, actually, or else McGonagall will go rooting around for the real reason we were out of bed."  
"We do still need to apologize to Neville for that," Hermione sighed.  
"Right, I should have done that the same night it happened, I sleep in the same dorm as him and he wasn't asleep yet," Harry muttered.

* * *

In the book, any mention of Norbert was covered up by their 'plot' to get Malfoy out of bed, but that was emphasised slightly, so that Neville might get the hint that it wasn't intended for him-Harry wondered why he _hadn't_ apologized.  
The book detailed how they had gone up to the tower at midnight, and waited for half an hour before coming back down and being caught.

 **"Well, well, well, we are in trouble,"**

"Chapter is done," Flitwick said cheerily. He handed the book to Sprout, and Snape had what amounted to disappointment on his face-he wanted to read about Potter getting punished, too bad he hadn't been there-although he tried to conceal it.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _So_ sorry this chapter took so long to come out! I have been busy the past few weeks, and when I do get time to write, my mind tells me that it would prefer _reading_ the fanfiction to making it. That's no excuse, however I don't think I should put myself on any kind of weekly schedule or something-although I do appreciate it when others do-because I simply don't have the time.

I have read fanfics by other people who have several fics going at once, and from their AU's, it was very zigzaggy and unpredictable, and I know I wouldn't want to read a fanfic that had other chapters for other fanfics coming out every week, which I wouldn't care about unless I read all the stories that author had. Now, I've had tumultuous ideas for fanfics that I could write- I've found I don't really like the characters reads the books idea- such as the very _not_ subtle hint that JKR gives in Harry's fifth year, where Harry wonders what if he and Neville were switched and Neville was the one with the scar and dead parents, and Harry, well if his parents had been tortured into insanity, I wonder...but see, my mind won't allow me to wonder until I'm writing that portion, in which case, my fingers fly! They go without me thinking, and they pull ideas from my mind, that I can read later, although I would much rather to read it than write it.

Sorry for boring you with this long Author's Note, and I really mean it when I say sorry for the delay!


End file.
